The Power Serial Rapist: A Criminology-Victimology Typology of Female Victim Selection

by Dawn J. Graney, Bruce A. Arrigo

The Power Serial Rapist provides an in-depth, comprehensive, and integrated approach to understanding the sexual offender’s victim selection process. Consolidating the criminological research on rape and the victimological literature on victims, this book deepens our knowledge about the offender, his victim, and the sexual crimes this rapist commits. The Power Serial Rapist systematically explores past victimization theories and models, mindful of their relative strengths and limits. Moreover, by selecting out the most salient and useful features of past victim selection typologies, this book develops a detailed assessment of what kind of individuals are likely victims and why. Going well beyond the presentation of theory, this text examines the explanatory and predictive capability of the victim selection typology it proposes. To this end, the case of Gilbert Escobedo, the Ski Mask Rapist, is thoroughly explored. Following important background material on this power serial rapist, past victimization models and theories are applied to the case for purposes of interpreting and explaining Escobedo’s method of selecting victims. Moreover, the victim selection typology developed by the authors is also applied to the Escobedo case. The authors demonstrate where and how their own typology significantly advances our assessment of sexual offenders like the Ski Mask Rapist. The text concludes by reviewing the implications of the authors’ model for purposes of future clinical treatment, criminal justice administration and policy, and ongoing research.

222 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2001