Discuss The Role Of Aggression And Sexuality In Gender Roles

Aggression and sexuality play a main role in gender roles. Psychologists clarify aggression as behavior intended to hurt. Simple acts of aggression throughout the world include hunting, and fighting, which are primarily male activities (Wood and Eagly, 2007). Aggression can come in forms of power and control, such as rape, and murder. In the United States 92 percent of prisoners are male, 9 to 1 ratio male to women (FBI, 2009). Although when there is provocation the gender gap seems to shrink (Bettencourt & Kernahan, 1997; Richardson, 2005). Women are no less aggressive than men, when it comes to slapping a family member, throwing something, or verbally attacking someone (Bjorkqvist, 1994; White and Kowalski, 1994). Women are more likely to
Rape myths are positively correlated with these gender roles. Rape myths are defined as “prejudicial, stereotyped, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists” (Burt, 1980). Rape can be minimized when one refuses to label the situation as rape, or rape is not characterized as psychologically damaging or as not violating a person’s rights. Brownmiller (1975) claimed, from her analysis, rape should not be viewed as a sexual act, but as an aggressive tool men use to gain control over a women. Rape is used as a mechanism of social control, rape has an intimidating effect on all women, not just victims, and rape reinforced traditional attitudes and women’s rights (Schwarz, and Brand, 1983). Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994) defined rape myths as “attitudes and beliefs that are generally false but are widely and persistently held, and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women” (Rape Perceptions, Gender Role Attitudes, and Victim-Perpetrator Acquaintance). One rape myth includes rape as a crime of pure passion that is sexually motivated, researchers have proven this to have very little basis in reality. Researchers have found that the motivation for rape is power, and anger. Groth, Burgess, and Holmstrom (1977) have concluded that sex is not the main motivation for rape. More recent research has shown that there is progress in the gender role attitudes for both, men and women. Younger kids seem to genderize doings, people, and items less, while on the other hand, older people have a more traditional, and sexist view. Women’s rights tend to be more restricted than men. The more traditional the gender role attitudes, the greater the tendency for rape. One way to explain this tendency is, if a woman’s behavior is violating the traditional gender norms, the more responsibility she gains for becoming