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Where did the idea that men are predators and women are the prey come from? Does the actual statistical evidence match the belief? I know there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that has been mass distributed to back this up.

In my experience people live in fear, in general. Is this because we are a part of the animal kingdom? This makes human nature make more sense to me anyway. It appears to me that a disproportional amount of males commit sexual assault. Is that more or less likely to be because humans are more animal (i.e. evolution) as opposed to a belief that we are above and unique (i.e. creation) from them?

I in no way agree or support sexual abuse, nor do I support abuse of any kind.

McVinegar 8 Apr 26
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14 comments

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0

When I said that I didn't think that 25% of me were rapists...(Because of repeat rapists), I did not mean to imply that there were only a few. If we take date rape etc...into consideration, I have no problem believing that 15% of men out there have committed rape.

1

The so called facts that you hear all the time range from distortions to flat out falsehoods. Real studies show that the rates of abuse are almost equal among men and women. Men are far less likely to report abuse or to blow it off as no big deal and women in divorce and custody cases are far more likely to make false allegations. For those that really care go to saveservices.org. This is the last comment I'm going to make on the subject. The Misandry on here is worse than any misogyny I've ever heard outside of the Bible

1

Anecdotal evidence? How about 1 in 3 women will be raped in their lifetime? These REAL statistics are out there. Not sure if I would put it in terms of prey and predator. To me it seems more like entitlement.

@McVinegar Yes, sexual violence can happen to men and it's horrible if your experience was marginalized but that doesn't negate the fact that women are much more likely to be victims of sexual violence. I hope you have gotten whatever help you need. Take care.

@McVinegar Dude I was kinda sympathetic but not after this. You sound like an MRA.

6

Think of those two terms in this way:
Who are women afraid of? Men.
Who are men afraid of? Other men.
Or consider the answers that women and men gave to the question, "What do you fear most from the opposite sex?"
Women: I'm afraid I'll be killed.
Men: I'm afraid I'll be laughed at.

4

Fear is a really effective form of social control. Call me a conspiracy theorist but I don't think its natural or an accident. I think fear has been used that way for hundreds of years.

7

I may have misunderstood this question (very possible) but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the 'idea' is not an idea, that it is in fact, a fact. Has it not been proven throughout history? Just ask any female.

Thank you. But it’s like white people to black people. You can listen and have empathy but a man will never KNOW what it is to be a woman. Well without a lot of hard work and expensive surgery.

Exactly right. A man can walk down a street at 3 in the morning that's crowded with women and not feel afraid. Yet make it a woman walking down a street filled with men and she will feel fear. The greatest threat to a woman's safety is a man. And the greatest threat to a man's safety is what? Yep, another man.

Horse pucky. It's about as innate as girls love of the color pink. It's just what you've been told since you were small so you think it's natural.

@McVinegar you are not a rare occurrence. Sad to say Its fairly common. I am terribly sorry you had to go through that and people acting as though it doesn't happen is not helpful.

@McVinegar. As no one was there to observe,we don't know. Among the higher primates rape does not seem to be the norm in mating, so I'd guess not.

7

First, I would ask you, Do you fear being raped? Perhaps if we just put this question in terms of bodies. Men can easily over-power a girl. Plus, she has a hole that his dick fits into fairly easily, especially if he has a weapon. My sister was raped, and she was blamed for being at a club where men were drinking. Women have to be able to live their lives trusting that men won't take advantage of their smaller stature. I was raped at age 14 by a man from church. I had no way of defending myself because I was a kid. I hate to bring up religion, but I didn't tell anybody because I knew they would blame me for being too pretty, or too nice, or too sexy.

5

Well, lots of women have been raped. However, I believe there are predator men out there who commit more than one. So, just because 1 out 4 women experience a sexual assault, doesn't mean that 25% of men committed sexual assault.

I believe that men are primed for it from an early age.

It does appear, at least with the recent push to clear old rape kits, that there are a few men raping a lot of women.

@DuchessNyx all the more reason to focus on teaching people about consent.

1

I’ve always assumed men are portrayed as the hunters due to their physical ability to ‘subdue their prey.’ And something I’ve noticed is how excited females get ‘being chased.’ We guys will run, but it’s in order to live to fight another day. My sisters, neighbor & school girls, gf’s or eventual wife would go giddy being chased! Leaves me to suspect it’s an instinctive response to some mating ritual or test…

But to this day, I notice aggressive guys pursuing women - and women responding. Seems I’ve been far too respectful 😕

[paragraph two A] If fear equates to anxiety, it’s rampant.. A longtime friend lived in fear, too afraid to speak to ‘girls.’ Not sure where that came from, but it didn’t serve him, or his genetics well … don’t believe he’s ever married.. There’s apparently a healthy balance.

[paragraph two B] Men committing sexual assault seem the result of hormones, opportunity and capability. It’s the result of having lost the battle of suppressing their instincts.. Women appear social aggressors, but not physical; the physiology doesn't work that way.

I’d say sexually violent men are the result of mental disorders rendering them incapable of suppressing primitive base behaviors. They, are a danger to all … but they were also once someone’s baby, which leaves society a lot more tolerant of them than I’d be…

Varn Level 8 Apr 26, 2018

I hear you about the running away giddy because it happened to me. I had an older brother who would chase me and it was just a GAME with a boy I trusted. So when that older man chased me I thought it was also a game, but he raped me! So women don't expect to raped just because a guy is chasing her. get it?

@calgirlblues "Men committing sexual assault seem the result of hormones, opportunity and capability. It’s the result of having lost the battle of suppressing their instincts.. Women appear social aggressors, but not physical; the physiology doesn't work that way." Had it ~

4

I think as @Ladyprof70 has well laid out some statistics, in that it's easy to see why we currently have such notions. We are after all prone to go with what we see and hear. So when we see more women in the ER with such related injuries and far fewer men, it's very easy to see why that belief has been instilled in so many of us. Even in terms of murder, a man is more likely to do so with guesome means such as striking with an object or use of a gun. Women on the other hand typically use methods such as poisoning where until modern science, may have just looked like a heart attack or a bad flu. I still firmly believe that men do assail women more than the other way around but I don't think it's by as big of a margin as we're lead to believe. Also making note that many men will remain quiet about such incidents too so it's quite hard to tell.

I see what you're saying, but it's very easy to know the truth if you're a girl because we TALK to each other. Most girls I knew and know now have been raped by men, especially fathers. I'm not kidding. We just don't tell because of religion. When I told my fiance' I wasn't a virgin because I was raped, he broke off with me! He had expected to marry a virgin. Dang men can be stupid!

@calgirlblues what an ass. Glad you avoided a lifetime of that bullshit, but sorry for the way.

@calgirlblues Wow... Well it seems you dodged a bad one indeed. Honestly I'd never want to take a woman's virginity again; long story but I think it's traumatic. I never quite understood the fascination with such a thing. But rape is another nasty thing and I agree that it's not only an issue many women stay quiet on but probably more so compared to domestic violence. I grew up in a predominately female family and almost every one of my female family members have experienced that. It's truly heartbreaking as they're never quite the same after it either. It's one thing to steal an object but to steal someone's innocence, forcefully, without consent is maddening as it can't be fixed or replaced. I'm sorry to hear about that. 😟

3

It is historical fact. Until we became "civilized" women needed men to protect them. They were LITERALLY considered prey in some circumstances. As in, an unattended woman was fair bait. The concept came from the minds of men who have always (in general, not all men) considered themselves the owners of women. I'll not do your work for you. Google it. The facts are pretty damn clear.

On the other hand, if a man comes after me, he WILL regret it.

Women were, and are still considered "chattel" (especially in religious households)...It began to change in the 1970's during the feminist movement, when a woman was actually given the rights to own property, to have a credit card in their name...to rent an apartment as a single mom for god's sake! We are still living in the dark ages! Men need to be educated.

@calgirlblues just saying... If we did what Iceland has, we'd be golden.

4

SInce both men and women have binocular, forward facing eyes, rather than on the sides of the head, it seems probable that we are all predators.

5

Males yes on the whole .. Murder, (serial killers) males on the whole, (virtually zero women in historical terms really) ... Usually within family units in cases of sexual violence or close community .. typically .. Males are more predisposed to being aroused by violence / sexual violence / both combined !! It is a very male trait .. Watch baboons or other primates for pointers .. I think we all want to know the reasons ..

Very rare for females to be this way.

I like you more now!

@calgirlblues It is very true though isn't it

I aways say what would the world be like if women were in charge!

Men should not be given sharp objects unsupervised lol !!

You are so right. Well said. Don't get me wrong, women can be serial killers, too. But the numbers show disproportionately men are more so inclined.

8

The research here is interesting. Gelles and Straus were two sociologists who studied interpersonal violence. What they found is that as many women as men actually shoved, slapped, or hit partners, but that men caused a disproportionate amount of physical damage. A substantial number of emergency room visits by women are a result of assault by a man. A very small proportion of men's visits to ERs are a result of violence by a woman. (Here, of course, we have to consider that men are less likely to seek medical help in many circumstances.) In terms of murder, in the US a third of women who are murdered are killed by a current or past husband or boyfriend. The percentage of men who are killed by female partners is very tiny.
That's not even considering sexual violence. I'm shakier on those stats so I'll leave it to others.

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