Abstracts
Abstract
During the past 30 years, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral theories of rape have evolved considerably. The influence of etio-logic factors related to personality, however, is limited to antisocial traits. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to investigate the presence of personality disorders in rapists. Forty-nine incarcerated rapists answered a French translation of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory questionnaire. On the basis of the Avery-Clark and Laws criteria (1983), 31 rapists were classified as less physically violent and 18 as more physically violent. Among the less physically violent rapists, we encountered most frequently avoidant, dependant, passive-aggressive and schizoid personality disorders. Among the more physically violent rapists, an antisocial personality disorder was predominant. The implications of these results concerning rape theories are being discussed.