Here's an interesting thing to argue over...

[Alastor]

I think it's more accurate to say rape is about both power and sex. Using power to force sex with someone else. If a rapist wasn't horny enough to rape would he rape in the first place?

Yeah. He sure would.

Statistically, most rapists don't orgasm during a rape to begin with. Clearly it's not a sexual gratification thing. Second, if a person was truly after sexual gratification, a willing partner would be more capable of producing the desired result than a non-compliant one, no? Even if it was a hooker, they'd be more likely to produce the desired affect than an unwilling participant.

Besides, if rape had anything at all to do with libido, we wouldn't have prostitution, would we?

This web search prduced a number of articles for me about rape. Some are from individual web sites that ... I dunno. Don't really need to be looked at. But some are from rape crisis centers and highly regarded psychological institutions as well. Almost universally, they all maintain that rape is a crime of power, not sexual desire or gratification.

If a person is horny; they hire hookers. Rape is not about sex. For a rapist, sex is a means to power and control, domination and humiliation - and really, truly, not much else.

Prostitution is a crime ABOUT sex. Rape is a crime that INVOLVES sex, as a means to fulfilling other motives.

[TheGlue Factory]

Rape is a crime that INVOLVES sex, as a means to fulfilling other motives.

I see what you're saying and I think maybe we're arriving at the same conclusion from different angles. This statement pretty much sums up my ideas about rape.

I just don't understand how a rapist could commit a sexual crime without any desire to engage in the act. Surely, there has to be some sexual arousal involved?

[Alastor]

Not really. I mean in "most" cases. At least that's what the experts have to say. To some extent it might be that way - but really that's more of what sexual deviance such as S&M is all about - where a person is sexually dominated and humiliated, but is a willing participant in the act.

I dunno. I'm not a rapist, and I doubt anyone is going to confess on these boards and grant us insight into a rapist's mind. The experts tend to believe it's really not much of an impact though, and that sexual arousal has little if anything to do with rape in most cases.

But yeah.. I dunno. It doesn't make sense to me either really - then again if it did, I'd be a little worried.

[TheGlue Factory]

It doesn't make sense to me either really - then again if it did, I'd be a little worried.

Agreed on that point!

[rcsodak]

Sexual deviance is not a crime.

Sexual assault is. Rape is a crime about power. Not sex.

If people are horny, they go hire prostitutes. Rape is not about sex.

I just used the 'sexual deviance' as a catch-all.....

....isn't rape,incest,molestation a deviant act with the use of sex?

[Alastor]

....isn't rape,incest,molestation a deviant act with the use of sex?

Sure, those are deviant acts. Sexual deviance doesn't imply criminality, however.

Masturbation and use of sexual aids is deviant too. That doesn't make them illegal. That was all I was getting at.

I appreciate your clarification, so there's mine too.

[rcsodak]

Besides, if rape had anything at all to do with libido, we wouldn't have prostitution, would we?

I guess you didn't read the 'freudian' paragraph, huh?

If a person is horny; they hire hookers. Rape is not about sex. For a rapist, sex is a means to power and control, domination and humiliation - and really, truly, not much else.

I agree, to a point.
If a person just wants to dominate by power, control and humiliation, then why pick sex? I'm sure there's plenty of other things the deviant could do.