ABSTRACT
Serial rapists (offenders raping several victims in three or more separate events) are particularly problematic among the stranger-to-stranger category for many of the victims that are killed or simply “disappear.” Studies of serial rapists suggest that they are more likely to be white rather than minority status, select victims based on sexual attractiveness and vulnerability ( Stevens, 1999 ), rape their victims for longer periods of time, and use more profanity, be sadistic, and escalate levels of violence over time ( Knight, Warren, Reboussin, & Soley, 1998 ). A study of United Kingdom serial rapists indicates itinerancy and mobility. A majority of attacks were initiated within five miles of the victim’s residence. Offenders tended to target locations where numbers of suitable victims were available, and rapists spent considerable time “prowling” or “hunting” over those larger areas in search of victims, occasionally stumbling over victims during relatively sophisticated property offenses. Perpetrators are more likely to have antisocial (“psychopathic”) personalities ( Davies & Dale, 1996 ). Victims of serial rapists generally require extensive therapy over long periods of time, sometimes in therapeutic communities ( Winick & Levine, 1992 ).
