Rapist Types and Methods of Avoidance
Power Rapists – Goal to Humiliate
q Power Reassurance (a.k.a. “gentleman rapist,” opportunity rapist, compensatory)
q Motivation
§ Insecure
§ To possess, not harm
§ Feels inadequacy with women – much self-doubt
§ Restore self-confidence
§ Confirmation of manhood – ensure she enjoyed it
§ Often done in conjunction with another crime
q The Attack
§ Method of Approach
· Blitz
· Peeping Tom’s (to pre-select victim)
§ Method of Attack
· Mainly verbal
· Threat of weapon, but often without having one, and any use of weapon will be one of opportunity
· 7-15 day cycle (biological clock)
q Behavior
§ Verbal
· Often socially awkward
· Reassures victim’s safety
· Will often attempt to instigate the victim to talk dirty to him, but he will rarely speak obscenely
· Complimentary
· Apologetic/expression of guilt
o “I won’t hurt you, I just want sex”
o “I want you to enjoy this, I’m sorry, I want anal sex, grab the lubricant because I don’t want to hurt you too much”
o “I’m sorry I don’t know why but I had to do this, tell me if I hurt you but do as I say because if you don’t it might hurt”
o “If you cooperate I will be your boyfriend, you are beautiful”
§ Sexual
· Attempts foreplay
· Involves victim in sexual activity
· Generally does not engage in alternate sexual practices, and if does, apologize to victim
· Often asks the victim to undress herself, like in a relationship
· Low aggression exhibited
· Unselfish
§ Physical
· Does not cause unnecessary harm
· Relies on threat of weapon for compliance
§ Modus Operandi (MO)
· Non-lethal
· Unorganized
· Selects victim in advance
· Victim in close proximity of rapist
· Attack for short period of time; longer with more compliance
§ Signature
· Contacts victim post attack
· Records attack
· Takes personal items from victim
· Often believes the experience was pleasurable for the victim
§ Personal Information
· Average education level is 10th grade
· Most often single and living with one or both parents
· Few friends and no sex partner
· Aggressive and possibly seductive mother
· Menial occupation; steady worker
· May be a transvestite, voyeuristic, exhibitionist, fetishist
· Interested in *advertiser censored*
· Often unathletic and socially awkward
q Methods of Avoidance
§ Will tend to terminate the rape if victim resists
§ Most likely of all rapists to be dissuaded if scream, cry, plead, or fight
§ Could be dealing with power assertive rapist starting off with softer approach – do not want to upset that rapist type
§ Start off with nonviolent tactics – crying, pleading, praying aloud – if he becomes verbally abusive, you do not have a power reassurance rapist
§ If you can attack his conscience, or his weak point, the better luck for avoiding the rape
§ Do not attempt to “talk him out of it” – he will interpret that as your enjoying it, like in a relationship – you must use more angry and shocking tactics
§ With this type of rapist, fight; although he will occasionally have a weapon, it is generally an empty threat and he will not want to deal with an overly resistant victim
q Power Assertive (a.k.a. entitlement, exploitative, can be a “date rapist”
q Motivation
§ Insecure, but comes across to have no self-doubt
§ To possess, not harm, but harm often occurs
§ Feels inadequate with women – overactive ego
§ Restore self-confidence
§ Confirmation of manhood – rapes because he is a man and entitled to
§ Express virility and personal dominance
q The Attack
§ Method of Approach
· Con
· Blitz
§ Method of Attack
· Mainly verbal threats
· Control, mastery, humiliation
· Force with a weapon, but often only to ensure cooperation
· 20–25-day cycle
q Behavior
§ Verbal
· Often socially competent
· Desires little victim interaction; rapist’s pleasure in primary
· Stereotypically known as “macho”
· Use of obscene language
· Explicit sexually; demanding
o “I want you on top, play with yourself”
o “I can give you the wildest sex of your life”
o “You have sex written all over your face”
§ Sexual
· Goal is capture, conquer, and control
· Often repeatedly attacks single victim
· Sexually punishes by pulling, pinching, biting
· Bondage often employed
· Similar with anger retaliatory – goal is to humiliate victim
· Selfish
§ Physical
· Moderate to high aggression exhibited
· Rips clothing in order to intimidate
· Use of force to gain compliance, especially with resistance
§ MO
· Non-lethal goal, but death can occur due to brutality employed
· Tends to be unorganized as has little control over impulses, but weaponry planning can show organization
· Victim selected in advance at times, but often opportunistic
· Finds victim often at single bar locations
· Selects safe location, victim dependent; often transports victim to assault location
§ Signature
· Victim held captive during rape
· Risky – zero respect
· Desire to control sexually
· Desire to leave victim physically and emotionally traumatized
§ Personal Information
· 69% raised in single-parent family
· 74% physically abused as a child
· High school dropout
· Serial marriages – has existing consistent sex partner
· Dishonorable discharge from the military
· Domestic problems (in attempt to validate macho image)
· Frequents single bars
· Image conscious
· Masculine type job – construction, police officer
· Often athletic
q Methods of Avoidance
§ Begging and crying ineffectual
§ If you’re going to resist, scream and fight violently, but realize that when you do so, they will get more and more angry
§ The rapist’s manhood is in question and to be aggressive to him is showing that is isn’t coming off as strong or manly enough
§ Still, compared with other rapist types (because he is not an anger rapist) trying to escape might be worth it as the punishment if caught is not generally death
§ Keep in mind that his goal is to humiliate, not to torture
§ You must be smart if you try to escape
§ If you choose to not try to escape, try to anger him as little as possible to increase your chance of survival
Anger Rapists – Goal to Torture
q Anger Retaliatory (a.k.a. displaced anger)
o Motivation
§ Rage towards one person/punish women expressing his rage
§ Often misdirected impulses of hatred toward random victim
§ Sometimes in name of politics or religion, but in general it’s a crusade to hurt women who have hurt him
§ Believes self-importance is most important
o The Attack
§ Method of Approach
· Blitz
§ Method of Attack
· Brutal and violent initially, using sex as the weapon
· Weapon (e.g., explosives)
· 6 months–year cycle
o Behavior
§ Verbal
· Selfish
· Not negotiable
· Blames victim for their unfortunate life
· Extremely angry; displaces anger onto victim
· Obscene language
o “This is what is going to happen if you ever think about leaving me”
o “I will kill your new boyfriend”
o “Where is your boyfriend now?”
§ Sexual
· No foreplay
· Selfish
· Violent – extension of physical attack
· Forces acts to humiliate victim – “This rapist may rape his victim anally and then force her to perform oral sex on him immediately afterward. Following oral sex, he may ejaculate on her face in a further attempt to degrade her”
§ Physical
· Rips clothing
· Prepares for the rape (dressing in military fatigues, police uniform)
· Excessive brutality – much injury
§ MO
· Often lethal
· Tends to be unorganized, but is organized in process
· Stranger attack; unplanned and emotional
· Victim population planned; symbolizes whom/what offender hates
· Seeks women of his own race and age group, sometimes older
· Depending on level of organization, weaponry can be extensive
§ Signature
· Offender sees their own life as a message to others
· Attack is short and emotional; experiences satisfaction once anger discharged
· Short period of time – diffuses anger and escapes, generally leaving body if victim is killed
§ Personal Information
· On average, completed 9th grade education
· Physical harm before sexual harm
· Often drug/alcohol abuser
· Socially competent; likely to be married and does not assault wife
· Tends to be an adulterer
· Comes from unhealthy home, with more than half having been abused by parents.
· 80% come from a divorced home; more than half spent time in foster care
· Athletic and masculine self-image
o Methods of Avoidance
§ Any resistance may enrage him
§ Not looking to kill you, but the beating could be fatal – more so than either of the power rapists
§ Do not challenge or enrage – try to escape or incapacitate rapist
§ If not trying to escape, try to limit the level of violence
§ Pick a path and stick with it – either try to outsmart the rapist or be highly compliant. The reasoning for this is that that the rapist is of such a violent nature and has a low frequency of between crimes, so the anger he possesses resembles someone else to him and tends to be highly volatile. A victim must choose her path cautiously and must not act on a whim because he will have zero tolerance for erratic behavior.
q Anger Excitation (a.k.a. sadistic)
o Motivation
§ Sexual gratification from victim’s suffering
§ Control, physical aggression, torture
§ Often similar victims, reflecting something the rapist wants to destroy
§ Sexual-aggressive fantasies
§ To inflict physical and psychological pain on victims – with the goal to kill the victims
o The Attack
§ Method of Approach
· Con
§ Method of Attack
· Physical force
· Weapons (e.g., rape kit)
· Difficult to predict, but those with a pattern show a 30-day cycle
o Behavior
§ Verbal
· Initially charming and intelligent
· Gains trust through planned con
· Hostile language more than profane language
· Extreme mood swings during encounter, if long encounter
· Demands to be called certain names during attack (usually to establish dominance–submission relationship)
· Asks victim if inflicting pain for self-gratification
· Humiliates through torture; professing victim’s meaninglessness
o “Keep your voice down or I will kill you”
o “You’re going to earn it you *****, stop your whining, if you don’t shut up I’ve got a knife”
o “Shut up *****, don’t move and it will not hurt”
o “Do you like that, *****?”
§ Sexual
· Owns extensive *advertiser censored* collection, typically involving bondage
· Excited by victim’s emotional/physical pain
· Rehearses, possibly with compliant victim
· Bondage usage; bizarre ritualistic quality
· Insertion of objects into vagina/penis/anus, often no usage of perpetrator’s digit; biting – whatever will cause the most pain
· Rough anal sex followed by oral sex is common
· Records attack – videos, photographs, journals
· Souvenirs of types – panties, jewelry
· Selfish
§ Physical
· Tie, gag, blindfold – less to control but to terrify
· Brutal and prolonged pain over long period of time
· Fetishes – body parts mutilated (e.g., necrophilia)
· Injury increases with anger
§ MO
· Lethal
· Organized
· Opportunistic in victim selection
· Authority positions; easily trusted
· Plans all details (con, pick-up, attack in comfort zone, disposal)
· Methodically murdered – highly ritualistic
· Victim type – vulnerable, seducible, nonaggressive, low self-esteem
· Aggression increases with each attack
· Disposes of victim (this is the offender type most likely to hide the victim’s body)
§ Signature
· Special instruments to attack
· Sexual aspect predominant – eroticized sex and violence
· Portrays themselves as caring
· Victim always a stranger
· Long attack, ranging from hours to days
· Rapist often mildly intoxicated during act
§ Personal Information
· Often will lead a secret life – married, middle-class family man, white-collar occupation, etc.
· Intellectual – some college education
· Drugs/alcohol commonly present
· Often have antisocial personalities
· Aggressive in everyday life (job type, etc.) – often obsessive-compulsive
· More than half were raised in single-parent home
· More than half have divorced parents
· More than were physically abused
· May have been raised in sexually deviant home
o Methods of Avoidance
§ Most criminally sophisticated
§ Escape or resistance is generally out of question
§ If tied up, you will have to attempt to match wits with the rapist and attempt to trick him to untie you to have some chance of escape
§ Injury increases with his heightened anger, so you must resist cleverly.
§ If you are lucky enough to not be unconscious from the start, you must attempt anything to try to avoid his anger
§ Murder is generally the end result – you must do what you can to escape somehow. Do not give in.
References
Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (2002). Psychological profiling and rape. In R. M. Holmes, & S. T. Holmes, Profiling violent crimes: An investigative tool (3rd ed.). (pp. 139–157). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ressler, R. K., Burgess, A. W., & Douglas, J. E. (2004). Rape and rape murder; one offender and twelve victims. In J. H. Campbell & D. DeNevi (Eds.), Profilers: Leading investigators take you inside the criminal mind (pp. 123–132). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
On the Web:
http://www.csbsju.edu/uspp/CrimPsych/CPSG-5.htm
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