I read over Tracey Hansen's diatribe and I have to say, it is a very unprofessional one at that. I don't know if this is a man or a woman, but he/she shows a very marked dislike for feminists. Also, the idea that lowering of recidivism by chemical (or physical) castration proves that rape is sex based is a horribly disingenuous. The lowering of the testosterone level will lower the rage level and the desire for violence very nicely thank you.

Reading something so pointedly partisan and misleading is saddening.

>>>>Rape is primarilly about sex. It's about hormone levels, testosteron to name one. It's about the natural drive of a living being that is driven to produce offspring. Prostitution is a fundamental requirement in a civilized society. It enables the members to say to those who are in desperate need: "Well then, go to the whores, but don't you dare to touch my daughter. I'll kill you with my bare hands."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>You're a Psychologist and you print that garbage. Whatever shred of respect I may of had for you is gone. All you want to do is foment arguments. Read the literature again, Rape is CONTROL AND HUMILIATION... nothing more. Sex has nothing to do with it.
>>
>>You've remembered that well. However, I have to correct here and now a misunderstanding I introduced myself two years ago in message #1224149. I wrote I had a PhD. I should have written a Masters Degree. I chose the wrong description in 2007. That bothers me since of all people my son confronted me with this some months ago. It was obtained on the University of Amsterdam in 1988.
>>
>>Your reaction that it's about control and humiliation is in line with the reaction of the others here. Apparently there has been some sort of a campaign in the US, telling people that it's not about sex. Well, sure, other factors can also be used as a starting point in the theorizing, but I stick to the theory that it is primarily about hormone levels, testosterone to name one.
>
>Personally, I think it is about control and subjugation, but I also think that for some it is about sex. For some, sex is a means of control. There have been studies which show that where internet sex is more available, rape incidents go down. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but if you are studying the causes of rape, it is interesting. There are many out there blaming the whole 'rape is a crime of violence and power not sex' on the feminist movement. I think all are true. It is about control and subjugation and about sex as a means to get it. I don't think it is primarily about sex though. It is just too easy to get sex out there and many rapists have other opportunities to get sex on a regular basis that does not involve rape. Many have what their spouses would consider normal sex lives at home.
>
>Anyway, this psychologist agrees with you:
>
>http://www.drtraycehansen.com/Pages/writings_politics.html
>
>and an article from 1996 on sex and anger and how experts disagree on why men rape:
>
>http://www.pbs.org/kued/nosafeplace/articles/rapefeat.html
>
>There are also numerous studies on the effect of excessive levels of testosterone in both men and women and violence and agression.
>
>Steven Pinker's book 'The Blank Slate" is all about human nature. He suggests that violence is not the goal, but that men use violence to get sex.
>
>http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/about/index.html
>
>At this point, I don't see enough studies (from any country) to substantiate either. It's also important to note that there are different types of rape occuring - some are more physically violent than others. In some of the crimes, the rape act itself is only a small portion of the violence that was done (not to minimize it, but I'm referring to other damage and sometimes death that occurs) and in others, it is the primary act.