1. Evolutionary Perspectives on Rape

2. Starting Points Language: “Victims” vs. “Survivors” Averages: Individual differences in rapists, victims Male rapists, female victims

3. Definitional Issues (1) Definitions:  Penile-Vaginal?  Force or threat of force?  Resistance?

4. “Copulation involving either the individual’s resistance to the best of his/her ability, or the reasonable likelihood that such resistance would result in death or bodily harm to the victim or others whom he/she commonly protects.” (Palmer, 1989) Definitional Issues (2)

5. Semantic Issues Rape vs. forced copulation  Animal models “They know not what they do” Sex vs. violence  Rapist’s or victims perspective? Attractiveness, harm to victim, sex & affection  Legal ramifications

6. Modern Historical Context (1) Miller (1931)  Rape is unique to humans because of reshaping of the pelvis Brownmiller (1975)  Non-human animals do not engage in rape because mating in the wild is controlled by the female estrous cycle

7. Feminist theory  During rape, “the sexual act is not concerned with sexual gratification but with the deployment of the penis as a concrete symbol of masculine social power” (Sanday, 1990)  Rape "is nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear" (Brownmiller, 1975) Modern Historical Context (2)

8. Non-Human Animal Research Research has been conducted on non-human primates, fish, frogs, elephant seals Considerable focus has been given to waterfowl  Synchronicity  Mate guarding  Sperm competition following FC  Predictive models

9. Insect Research Wing perching in the damselfly Panorpa scorpionfly (Thornhill, 1980)  Three mating strategies

10. Likelihood of Committing Rape Rape scenario study (Malamuth et al, 1980)  17% endorsed rape scenario  51% endorsed scenario with the condition that they wouldn’t get caught  Additional 21% scored middle of the scale

11. Evolutionarily-relevant information (Thornhill & Thornhill, 1991)  Over-representation of women of high reproductive age (RA)  Women of RA more likely to be subjected to penile-vaginal rape  RA associated with ejaculate in the reproductive tract Rape & EP

12. Women of RA suffer more than post-RA women or pre-RA girls Married women suffer more Negative correlation between signs of violence and suffering Penile-vaginal rape caused more suffering only in RA women Relationship to rapist (stranger, friend, family) Psychological Pain Thornhill & Thornhill (1990a,b,c,d)

13. Rape Avoidance Chavanne & Gallup (1998)  During ovulatory phase of menstrual cycle, women engage in fewer risky behaviours  Participants taking birth control pills showed little variation  Effect is not an artifact of reduced sex drive or reduced general activity

14. EP Theories: By-product Symons (1979), Palmer (1991)  Insufficient evidence for adaptation  Rape is on a continuum of behaviours and is a byproduct of other adaptations (e.g., partner variety and impersonal sex) Ellis (1989); Malamuth (1996)  Biosocial factors (e.g., delinquency) and neurological differences

15. EP Theories: Adaptation Shields & Shields (1983)  Victim “vulnerability detector” Thornhill & Thornhill (1983)  Mate Deprivation hypothesis Agreement between adaptationist & by- product theories  Facultative vs. obligate genes  Psychological pain & mate choice violation

16. Synthesis (1) EP framework can integrate proximate & ultimate causes into an overarching framework (e.g., Malamuth, 1996)

17. Synthesis (1) EP framework can integrate proximate & ultimate causes into an overarching framework (e.g., Malamuth, 1996) Delinquency Attitudes (Violence) Sexual Promiscuity Hostile Masculinity Coerciveness against Women Parental Violence Child Abuse

18. Feminists vs. evolutionists? Sex vs. violence?  Muelenhard et al (1996): Control/consent New research direction  Rape as a short-term mating strategy and the Micro-Mate Deprivation hypothesis (Lalumière et al, in preparation; Lalumière et al, 1996; Lalumière & Quinsey, 1996; Quinsey & Lalumière, 1995) Synthesis (2)

19. The Wrap-Up Definitional & semantic issues Historical context Non-human animal & insect research Rape in humans  Likelihood of committing, evolutionary evidence, psychological pain, avoidance Rape theories (adaptation vs. by-product) New research directions

20. Things to Come Status, Prestige, & Dominance  Dominance hierarchies  EP theories of dominance  Multilevel-selection and hierarchies  Submissiveness