Do you believe that a guy who possesses a macho demeanor is easily compelled to commit rape? Do you believe that machismo oriented characters may be a personality sort that can put up with rape and/or sexual exploitation of women with no difficulty?

“Early in their investigation into the kidnapping and slaying of a young college woman, Reno police were convinced the suspect they described as a serial rapist was a chameleon who blended in with a community grief-stricken over the loss of Brianna Denison.

“Likely, James Michael Biela, a former marine who trained in martial arts at a academy frequented by law enforcement officers looks like somebody you would least suspect, but that is the person who is responsible for this crime,” Deputy Police Chief Jim Johns said in February, a day after Denison’s body was found.” (Associated Press, November 27, 2008, Reno, Nevada)

For more than ten years, behavioral researchers have alleged, “most guys simply become momentarily wacky. During those brief moments of wackiness, they become excited by the wrong stimulant.” (The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology – March 2008) Behavioral researchers also believe that the bad attitude of some guys derives from their feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness toward women. Between the voices heard from a group of feminists who believe that guys who rape are profoundly angry at women and those behavioral researchers' studies, will we ever really know the real reasons why some guys rape?

Back in 1998, an established writer at the Psychology Today magazine conducted a psychological study on this topic and discovered that "seventy-five percent of males admitted having used drugs and/or alcohol to get what they wanted from women. Sixty-nine percent admitted using some form of manipulation. Forty percent used anger and thirteen percent had threatened force." (This Psychology Today article may have succeeded its study because those guys who volunteered to be part of the research study willingly admitted their devious tactics.)

It may be fair to suggest that most people, women and men, would agree that whenever a guy exhibits an intense interest in x-rated, sexual exploitation of women, they possess an unfeeling quality toward women, and therefore those twisted personalities willingly accept and permit to push them to the point where they actually believe that violence against women in any form is masculine and dangerous risks motivate them to play out their twisted fantasies. These ill-spirited guys are the ones who methodically and continually use sleazy tactics to seduce women into having sex with them.

Nowadays, (unlike ten years ago when the Psychology Today's article was published) guys rarely admit to anything and while behind the mask practice their unscrupulous methods of manipulation in private while "appearing normal" in the public's eyes. In the same vein, these "twisted minds" feign insecurity, seduction and charm to intimidate someone into believing they are in the presence of a decent and normal person.

Generally, when they become comfortable and secure that they have gained your trust they will remove the mask. Hence, they will begin to whine in emotional tones about how they suffer from anxiety and fear of women, relationships, intimacy. These same guys are frequently depicted by psychologists as aggressive macho males who feel aroused while watching pornographic movies as opposed to human interaction.

Still, a smooth talking guy can only convince you of something if you want to believe what he is saying. And the more you want to believe him, the less convincing he needs to be. Without your willingness to ignore common sense on your part, even the smoothest con artist has no power and no chance to harm you. The end result depends on his character, attitude, opinion and assessment of you.

In reality, most of us do not consider that oftentimes potential rapists are guys with whom we share part of our lives with; and knowing this, women ought to exercise the power of their intuition and trust their instincts when defining the "psychological macho male." Then, separate him from real men with whom you can communicate specifically what it is you want (and do not want) or need in your life.

References

The New York Times – December 6, 2008/Health – “New studies map the mind of the rapist. Dr. Mary Koss, Psychologist at the University of Arizona Medical School in Tucson, Dr. Howard Barbarie, Psychologist at Queens College in Kingston, Ontario (A report of Dr. Barbarie's research was published in The Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology.

www.pep-web.org/document.php
www.psycnet.org - American Psychological Association
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com - Aggression and Violent Behavior
www.wral.com/new/national-world - WRAL-TV 11-27-08 “Tip Led to Arrest of Reno Rapist suspect"
www.endesastres.org, www.menz.org.nz