ABSTRACT
What precipitates the act of rape? Does it generally approximate the rage violence discussed by Mitchell Silverman (1983) and others, or does it have a more instrumental character in most cases? Are acts of rape committed by men with violent careers? As a sociologist employed as a counselor for delinquent teenagers, the opportunity presented itself to investigate answers to these questions. Concerned with recidivism of rape offenders, the Ohio Youth Commission (now Department of Youth Services) was wrestling with the challenge of correcting youthful sex offenders. Survey of the literature indicates a lack of understanding of many basic issues concerning rape.
