Publications [#379827] of Christine M. Drea

Book Chapters

1. Drea, CM; Wallen, K, Female Sexuality and the Myth of Male Control, in EVOLUTION, GENDER, AND RAPE, edited by C.B. Travis (2003), pp. 29-60, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
   (last updated on 2025/06/15)

   Abstract:
   In A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion (MIT Press, 2000), Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer propose that rape has been evolutionarily selected as an human male mating strategy. Their conceptualization emphasizes male control of reproduction and ignores the significant role that females play in reproductive decisions. Our chapter illustrates the inadequacy of this male-centric view of reproduction by demonstrating the female’s active role in controlling sexual behavior, reflecting not only her own sexuality, but her control over male sexual behavior. We draw primarily from the primate literature, but also examine other mammalian species to illustrate the variety of female control mechanisms. We begin with a discussion of specialized physical, structural, and behavioral female ‘barriers’ to forced copulation, then present examples of more subtle relationships between mating strategies, social structure, reproductive cycles, and sexual behavior that emphasize female sexual desire and mate choice. We argue that even in simians and humans where forced copulation occurs, it is minimally effective as a means of reproduction. Last we discuss post copulatory mechanisms allowing females control of their reproductive output. We suggest that, through behavioral, structural, physiological, and social mechanisms, females are vested with significant sexual control that limits the reproductive benefits of sexual coercion.