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    Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse
    Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse
    Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse
    Ebook55 pages43 minutes

    Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse

    By William Katzhaus

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    About this ebook

    The hypothesis that sexual abuse among humans is innate, that it is related to reproduction tends to persist. Arguments promoting the assertion rely on questionable, if not poor science, and have been repeatedly dismissed. Nevertheless, scholars on both sides of the issue have focused almost exclusively on the rape of women. If more attention was paid to the sexual abuse of children, who cannot bear children, it is possible the issue of innateness may have never been raised.
    The debate has, however, initiated serious scientific inquiry into the issue of sexual coercion, as it is known among biologists and anthropologists when studying our genetically closest cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos. Comparisons of human behavior to these species show that only human beings sexually abuse children, and only human beings and chimpanzee males coerce females into having sex.
    Anthropological studies indicate that it is culture that accounts for the presence or absence of rape. Specifically, those hunter-gatherer cultures that are nearly rape-free have managed to maintain a traditional way of life independently of advanced cultures and have deep traditions of respect for women and nature. Close examination of hunter-gatherer cultures have also found very strong resistance to all forms of domination. There is greater evidence to support the hypothesis that resistance to sexual abuse is innate.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWilliam Katzhaus
    Release dateMay 24, 2016
    ISBN9781311844309
    Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse
    Author

    William Katzhaus

    Irreverent wilderness geek, backpacker, vision quester, photographer, sexual abuse survivor, and author of:- Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse (Smashwords 2016).- Gnarled Tree: PTSD and the Ancient Wisdom of Wilderness, 2nd edition forthcoming to SmashWords.

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      Book preview

      Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse - William Katzhaus

      Innate Resistance to Sexual Abuse

      by William Katzhaus

      Copyright © 2016 by William Katzhaus

      All rights reserved

      Cover photograph, copyright © 2006 by William Katzhaus

      Contents

      Introduction

      Scope of the Problem

      Evolutionary Questions

      Cultural Realities

      Conclusion

      Bibliography

      Introduction

      The hypothesis that sexual abuse among humans is innate, that it is related to reproduction tends to persist. Arguments promoting the assertion rely on questionable, if not poor science, and have been repeatedly dismissed. Nevertheless, scholars on both sides of the issue have focused almost exclusively on the rape of women. If more attention was paid to the sexual abuse of children, who cannot bear children, it is possible the issue of innateness may have never been raised.

      The debate has, however, initiated serious scientific inquiry into the issue of sexual coercion, as it is known among biologists and anthropologists when studying our genetically closest cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos. Comparisons of human behavior to these species show that only human beings sexually abuse children, and only human beings and chimpanzee males coerce females into having sex.

      Anthropological studies indicate that it is culture that accounts for the presence or absence of rape. Specifically, those hunter-gatherer cultures that are nearly rape-free have managed to maintain a traditional way of life independently of advanced cultures and have deep traditions of respect for women and nature. Close examination of hunter-gatherer cultures have also found very strong resistance to all forms of domination. There is greater evidence to support the hypothesis that resistance to sexual abuse is innate.

      Scope of the Problem

      There are several levels of causation for sexual abuse. While some cases may be related to genetic dispositions, birth defects, and brain injuries, the vast majority are related to culture and upbringing. Here, we focus only on culture and upbringing.

      As few as 1 in 20 (about 5%) cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the US are reported or identified. The statistics presented below are underestimates (Hall & Hall 2007 p460). Unless otherwise noted, all data is from the US, but similar statistics can be obtains about most other countries.

      Victims

      While all statistics for CSA reflect under-reporting. Boys especially are less likely to report being abused than are girls (Hunter 1990) and this remains true for grown men (Sorsoli et al. 2008). Thus, statistics for males are even less reliable than females. This has important implications for both prevention, detection, and treatment (Hunter 1990).

      There are a number of obstacles to reporting sexual abuse of boys, including:

      A Freudian legacy within the mental health community that assumes memories are mere fantasies.

      Many mental health professionals lack training in getting boys (or men) to talk about their experiences of abuse.

      When the abuser was a woman, many boys and men understand what happened but do not think of it as sexual abuse.

      Homophobic stigma if the abuser was male (Hunter 1990 p27-34; Hall & Hall 2007).

      Potential physical danger from speaking out.

      In the US, one of every five girls (20%) and up to one of every ten boys (10%) is sexually abused according to David Finkelhor (1994), who has conducted extensive research in this area. Data collected by the US Department of Health & Human Services shows similar results, broken down by age group (2012):

      0-2: 2.6%

      3-5: 14.0%

      6-8: 17.2%

      9-11: 18.4%

      12-14: 26.3%

      15-17: 20.9%

      International data show very similar results. A meta analysis of 22 countries shows that at least 19.2% of girls and at least 7.4% of boys are victims of some form of sexual abuse before age 18 (Pareda 2009; Badkhen 2012).

      Among the population as a whole, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD (the likelihood that anyone will develop PTSD at some point in

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