The scripting of male and female rape
| Published date | 05 April 2013 |
| Date | 05 April 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17596591311313663 |
| Pages | 68-76 |
| Author | Michelle Davies,Jayne Walker,John Archer,Paul Pollard |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
The scripting of male and female rape
Michelle Davies, Jayne Walker, John Archer and Paul Pollard
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how male and female rape is scripted.
Design/methodology/approach – In total, 100 (50 male, 50 female) participants were asked to write
down in their own words what they considered to be the typical rape when the victim was either an adult
male or female.
Findings – Results revealed that men’s and women’s rape scripts did not dramatically differ, though
several differences were revealed between male and female rape scripting, focussing around the
gender stereotypes of men verses women.
Originality/value – Results are discussed in relation to gender role stereotyping and wider implications
are considered.
Keywords Gender, Crimes, Stereotypes, Scripts, Rape, Sexual assault
Paper type Research paper
Individuals commonly develop cognitive scripts for stereotypicalsequences of events (Abelson,
1981). They are acquired throughpersonal interactions or wi der,through the community or mass
media (Huesmann, 1998). Scripts are prototypes for how specific events normally proceed, and
exist for all routine activities, including sexual activities. Sexual scripts are culturally determined
(Ryan, 2011) and include a range of scripts for all expected sequences of consensual sexual
interactions (Laws and Schwartz, 1977). Even seemingly specific social events, such as where
people choose to eat on a first date verses when in moreestablished relationships, are scripted in
line with social expectations (Amiraian and Sobal, 2008).
As well as scripts for consenting social and sexual activities, scripts exist for non-consensual
ones. According to Krahe (1991), scripts define the types of situations that are regarded as
rape. The stereotypical rape script isone where the perpetrator is a stranger who often uses a
weapon, duringa night-time assault, in a public place,with considerable violence,and where
the victim resists (Krahe et al., 2001). Burt (1991) suggested that a stranger rape is often
perceivedas the classic ‘‘realrape’’ and that other types of rapeare considered lessreal. Krahe
(1991)found that evenpolice officers’scripts for a ‘‘real rape’’ describeda strangerrape against
a woman, than any othertype of rape. In contrast, what they viewedas a false or dubious rape
involved a rape by an acquaintance. Further, the two types of rapes differed in the assumed
psychologicalconsequences for the victim,with real rape deemed more seriousthan dubious
rape. Acquaintance rape has its own set of scripts, sometimes specificto situations that may
lead to rape (e.g. the too-much-to drink script; Ryan, 2011).Nevertheless, the erroneous real
rapescript is pervasive, even whenparticipants are askedto describe acquaintancerape. This
may prevent acquaintance rape victims from acknowledging their own rape and also allows
acquaintancerapists to deny their criminal activity is actually rape (Ryan,2011).
Existing literatureon rape scripting has focused on male-to-femalerape, leaving male-to-male
rape scripts currently unexplored. To date no research has detailed perceptions of a typical
male-to-malerape script, although some researchhas investigated the myths and stereotypes
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JOURNALOF AGGRESSION, CONFLICTAND PEACE RESEARCH
j
VOL. 5 NO. 2 2013, pp. 68-76, QEmerald GroupPublishing Limited,ISSN 1759-6599 DOI 10.1108/17596591311313663
Michelle Davies,
Jayne Walker, John Archer
and Paul Pollard are based
at the School of Psychology,
University of Central
Lancashire, Preston, UK.
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