Looking at the Differences between Single- and Multi-Offender Rape Situations

Even though I am no longer engaged in the formal education system when it comes to my study of criminology and forensic psychology, I try to stay current on the latest research and writing being done in these fields. One source of this information for me is the " In the News" by Dr. Karen Franklin , which focuses on the very issues for which I have a passion. Franklin is a forensic psychologist and a professor, so the information she shares is detailed and academic in nature.

One of her recent posts focuses on the mindset of men who engage in group rape versus those perpetrators who make this crime a solo act. She argues that while all rapists are often lumped together for the purpose of psychological study, not looking at the characteristics that are specific to those who participate in group rape is a mistake.

Franklin asserts that multi-offender rape involves male group peer dynamics and the need for men to demonstrate their heterosexual masculinity to one another. She believes the crime is less about the sex act itself than when performed without witnesses and co-attackers.

She closed the post by sharing three questions that were posed at the beginning of a seminar series sponsored by the British Psychological Society, including whether or not all perpetrators are equally responsible for a multi-offender rape and how best to prevent this specific type of rape.

What do you think about the distinction between criminals who rape by themselves versus for an audience ? Is it helpful to look at these rapists differently in terms of psychology and criminal detention? What do you think motivates men to take part in a group rape of a victim?