A Review of Rape Statistics, Theories, and Policy

Author Information

Gary Lowell

Abstract/Description

Rape is defined in the laws of Massachusetts as “[s]exual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse by a person with another person who is compelled to submit by force and against his will or by threat of bodily injury” (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 277, § 39, 2009). Although traditional definitions of rape have been that only a female can be raped and only a male can rape, “courts have held that the rape statutes in their jurisdictions are gender-neutral and apply equally to perpetrators of either sex” (Lynton, 1995). Still, since male on female rape is more prevalent (see Gonzales, Schofield & Schmitt, 2006), this paper focuses on that form of rape.

Note on the Author

Gary Lowell is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in criminal justice. This paper was written for Dr. Dina Perrone’s Applied Crime Theory course.

Recommended Citation

Lowell, Gary (2010). A Review of Rape Statistics, Theories, and Policy. Undergraduate Review, 6, 158-163.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol6/iss1/29

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.