Serial Rape

Abstract

In this study, data were collected from 41 incarcerated serial rapists concerning their first, middle, and last rapes. Selection criteria required that the subjects had raped at least ten times. Collectively, the sample was found to be responsible for 837 rapes, more than 400 attempted rapes, and over 5,000 “nuisance” sexual offenses. Results showed that while the amount of force used by the rapist did not change from first to last rape overall, there were ten individuals for whom the amount of force did increase from first to last rape. Four correlates were identified that distinguished these “increasers” from “nonincreasers.” The data also indicated that when the victim resisted, the amount of pleasure experienced by the rapist was greater and the duration of the rape was longer.