Feminist theorists contend that rape and the threat of rape are tools used in our society to keep women in their place. This fear keeps women in traditional sex roles, which are subordinate to men’s. Feminist theorists believe that the social, economic, and political separation of the genders has encouraged rape, which is viewed as an act of domination
of men over women (Murnen et al., 2002). Sex-role stereotyping—which reinforces the idea that men are supposed to be strong, aggressive, and assertive, whereas women are expected to be slim, weak, and passive—encourages rape in our culture (Murnen et al.,
2002) .