The Root Cause of Rape - A Male Dominated Society

"Successfully reducing the occurrence of rape [requires]... the identification of its causes" (Hodgson, J. & Kelly, D., 2004, p. 44) and "somehow, over the past 30 years we've managed to create an entire social movement dedicated to treating and ending violence against women that rarely addresses the root cause" (Anderson, 2004). The cause that will be discussed in this paper is our patriarchal society that does not value the autonomy and unique voice of women. If, for instance, society placed value and interest in the well being of women, beyond their ability to reproduce, then the rape of a woman would be such an outrage that to do so would cause a man not only legal but social strife. However, men who rape do not experience such strife. For example, it is presently very difficult to prove acquaintance rape, and during a trial, our society's interests in protecting men over women are obvious by how the victim, not the perpetrator, is scrutinized (Taslitz, 1999). "The [criminal justice] system's response tends to focus less on the injury of and sensitive treatment of the victim, and more on evaluating the victim's credibility" (Hodgson, J. & Kelly, D., 2004, p. 3). A victim must fight against, not only her attacker, but her society, which, incidentally, is the root cause of her violation.

"For most men, aggression, whether physical or verbal, is instrumental, a way of controlling others, attaining social or material benefits, dominance, and self esteem" (Taslitz, 1999, p. 25). In other words, aggression is central to a man's behavior. And men are central to society's institutions. Therefore, male aggression creates the atmosphere for rape because society grants men the role of control over women in all institutions. "What I see all too often are stories about military bases, big business, universities, professional sports organizations where women were humiliated and abused by men who thought they had a license to do whatever they wanted to them" (Lefkowitz, 1999).