Apparently, it’s a popular notion now to simply assume that every man you speak to is a potential rapist (but especially white guys), at least in some circles. (But at the same time, somehow, the same folks think that notion isn’t racist or sexist, to hear them speak of it.)
a recent study suggested that 6% of college age men would admit anonymously to having forced someone into a sexual act (i.e. raped them), while 4% would admit they had done so on multiple occasions. 4% is 1 in 25. that’s pretty high - my freshman bio class probably had about 6 or 7 serial rapists in it out of 300 students, if this study is representative of the overall population in the US.
so yeah, people have a right to be suspicious and worried about this stuff, especially considering that, while 4% of college men could be serial rapists, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will be raped/sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. that means your “average” serial rapist will attack/abuse 6 women and/or 4 men, depending on preference of victims.
of course, most rapists know their victims, and know them well, and most sexual assaults happen in familiar settings; while there are rapists lurking “in the bushes”, most rapists will end up going for a less risky route instead.
It’s your right to worry, I suppose, but I don’t think the point you’re making is a logical one.
Looking at your information, a more reasonable conclusion to draw would be that potential rapists constitute a small number of sick people, and your information supports my conclusion that some folks are taking a small percentage (which, granted, could be lower or higher given the sensitivity of the issue) and holding it up as representative of the whole. (ie, all white men are potential rapists.) I’d say the 96% that don’t participate in the behavior (by your numbers) don’t deserve to be painted with such a wide brush.
Really, though, my point is that the folks who perpetuate these ideas (while simultaneously voicing enthusiastically their opposition to racism and sexism) are hypocrites.
