Thomas has a really interesting post on the
Yes Means Yes blog analyzing research (including by Dr. Lisak) on repeat perpetrators of Rape, and using that to propose some prevention strategies - mostly in terms of what bystanders can do.
I specifically want to point out this excerpt:
I saw economist James Galbraith not long ago — an economist beloved
of progressives everywhere. Galbraith said, among other things, “First
rule of economics: incentives work.” He was speaking in another
context, but this applies to rape. The overwhelming prevalence of
acquaintance over stranger rapes and of intoxication over overt force,
and the relative rarity of weapon use and physical injuries, is easily
explained. Rapists know what works. They like to rape, they want to
keep doing it, they want not to be caught. It is in their interest to
be very sensitive to which accounts of rape are believed and which are
attacked and to know which targets and methods are lowest-risk for
them.
What they do is what works. They rape their drunk acquaintances
because it works. They rape their drunk acquaintances because we let
them.
This is important to be because it means that EVERY TIME we victim blame, or make assumptions about "real" rape (or as
Whoopi puts it, "rape rape" we are allowing predators to perpetrate. We are accomplices. But we can make the choice not to be.
Perpetrators may not change their minds to decide that rape is bad, but we can make the risk far too high for the majority to accept. If we as the culture take away the incentive. If we take away the camouflage. If we take away the excuses. We can end rape.