ABSTRACT
Rape scripts describe stereotypically accepted characteristics of rape, victims, and perpetrators, or reflect a person perception of what typically occurs during a rape. Rape myths blame victims, assert that only certain types of women are raped, and excuse perpetrators. The myth that women secretly desire to be raped reasons that women are believed to be caught in a conundrum between what they desire and what is considered to be socially acceptable behavior. This chapter reviews three theories commonly used to explain rape: feminist theory, rational choice theory, and routine activities theory. Rational choice theory makes sense for individuals trying to explain why rape happens; the risks of committing the crime are low and outweigh the benefits because the chance of being punished is low. Routine activities theory, developed in 1979 by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson, argues that there must be three components for crime to occur: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and lack of a capable guardian.
