Evolutionary Psychology and Rape Avoidance

Abstract

This chapter reviews the topic of women's rape avoidance from a modern evolutionary psychological perspective. Definitions of rape vary. It is typically defined, and will be defined in this chapter, as the use of force or threat of force to achieve sexual penile-vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent (Kilpatrick, Edmunds, & Seymour, 1992; Thornhill & Palmer, 2000). Rape is a fact of life across cultures (Broude & Greene, 1978; Rozee, 1993; Sanday, 1981). In American samples, estimates of the prevalence of rape are as high as 13 % for women (Kilpatrick et al., 1992; Resnick, Kilpatrick, Dansky, Saunders, & Best, 1993). Rape is likely more common, however, because rapes often go unreported (Kilpatrick et al., 1992). Although other forms of rape occur (e.g., male-male rape), this chapter focuses on how women may behave to avoid being raped by a man. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)