The Social Construction of Rape in the Talk of a Convicted Rapist

The study used a discursive approach to explore the rape narratives of a convicted rapist. These narratives were recounted during the group therapy sessions of a prison-based Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP). The analysis suggested that the offender drew on two main practical ideologies (Wetherell et al., 1987) in recounting his version(s) of the rape. These practical ideologies, which often embodied popular rape myths, served to construct the incident as ambiguous. In particular, this ambiguity called into question whether the incident constituted rape or consensual sexual intercourse. These findings lend support to feminist writers’ assertions that there is no clear distinction between rape and sex. The implications of the research for sex offender treatment programmes are discussed.