Why do soldiers find it acceptable and appropriate to rape women during times of war?

Question

It happened in Vietnam, it happened in WWII, it happened in Bosnia and it is still happening in Iraq. These soldiers wouldn't normally rape women whilst at home out of uniform but why do they perform such a crule act, mainly on innocent young women who are supposed to be protected by these soldiers and pose no threat whatsoever?

Answer 1

It is not acceptable. Officially any way. Any soldier in any army maybe held accountable for rape. Yet it does happen all to frequently. And its pervasiveness is deeply rooted. To understand this issue it is necessary to stand back from its disgusting features. Many of the soldiers who commit rape in war would not even consider such behavior in another context.

War is a collage and collection of violent emotions. Killing and violence are the norm. This effects thinking and emotions.

Historically the military rape goes back to the origins of human kind and the first conflicts. Indeed it may go back to the origins of animals.

Many species have one male vanquishing another male and takes control of the territory and the females controlled by that other adult male. It is in short the prize of conquest.

Mammalian females in many species are considered highly prized since it is they who hold the keys to reproduction. Males fight for the right of conquest. The prize of conquest is to breed with the females of the vanquished tribe.

Indeed this behavior may have genetic foundation since the cultural dimension to tribal life is that to prevent the deleterious effects of inbreeding the development of war may have been not only for territory but for the simple health of the species. Genetically it is smart to broaden the gene pool. One method is rape.

Psychologically, males maybe consumed by the need to have power over another individual. In soldiers their will is often controlled by the application of discipline that when there is a moment in time after a violent episode in combat where the rape emotion trigger occurs.

In the modern world, in the modern society violent behavior so dominant in the past is no longer necessary to maintain the variety in the gene pool. But one must recognize that in a violent conflict where emotions dominate a hormone driven act like rape will emerge.

The surprising thing about this kind of rape is that provided the rapist is not threatened the victim is likely to survive physically. And this is the key. The most important thing is to provide training for the soldier in the hopes that this training overcomes any emergence of the irrational emotional need for rape.

The reason for light punishment for soldier is to actually reduce the need for murder. Without the threat of too severe a punishment for rape actually saves lives. No one wants the rape victim murdered.

Rape is such an out of control behavior exercised mostly by males and rarely by females. Almost always human rape behavior less a sexual behavior but more of a power control over another regardless of the status of the victim.

A rape can be considered a statement of power over the vanquished. Sexual need is only a minor consideration. Rightly or wrongly evaluated in our modern world one must realize that until very recently women were not considered persons but as property and possessions. There lies the subtext and a rape occurs because the conqueror is finally taking control of a prize for themselves. It is wrapped up and twisted into the built up sexual thirst of a young soldier involved in a combat.

The abusive behavior of the guards at Abu Graib over the Iraqis prisoners may be considered a type of rape. Much of the abuse by male and female guards exercised on their imprisoned charges sprang from the same source. Much of the humiliation of the prisoners contained the subtext of sexual domination by the captors.

It is like a hunter standing on the corpse of a deer and screaming victory. That event of rape and hunting stem from the same root to exercise a power control as a statement of conquest of possession.

It is not acceptable. But like many bad things, it is a terrible reality.

Answer 2

My word there's some silly answers here to a very difficult question.
I'm afraid the term Rape and Pillage has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years but goes back alot further.
I'm sure that when these young men start out in their military careers they have no intention what so ever to commit these sort of heinous crimes. Perhaps something changes in a few of them due to the environment they are working in abroad etc etc.
Historically large armies in times gone by have always had a number of women providing their services not far behind.
In Iraq there is 130 -140 odd thousand US troops, roughly 7,000 UK troops in what is a hostile environment.
Occasionally what would normally be a fairly ordinary bloke, something happens inside they get caught up in a moment of madness and they 'lose it' They don't think of the consequences or if they do, the animal instinct takes over and they don't stop.
I don't know why it happens, but it has always happened.
Some armies are alot more disciplined than others so the incidents should hopefully be less. But I can't ever really see it being stopped and no law will ever stop it from happening even the death penalty.
This is all guess work on my part, but I thought I'd give the question a go.

Answer 3

Rape is one of those things that leaves victims scarred long after the actual event. They begin to second guess themselves...Did they encourage it, did they somehow ask for it? Did they actually enjoy it? Was it rape or actually a date? Why couldn't they have seen what was coming and so on?

There is no cure, only acceptance and understanding that you were a victim... after what can be a long long time. I once had a patient who was so guilty because she remembered her own orgasm's, while her father raped her as a child at 11-17. She thought she wanted it!!!

Not true of course! What causes men to rape? It is a multifaceted answer, but essentially it starts with resentment toward women, and ends up being a control thing. Showing they are superior, that they can make their victim do anything they want..and so on. It gives the rapist, a sense of power, but the cost to both sides, is enormous on an emotional level.

Men who are repeatedly raped in prison, often are never able to accept their masculinity again, and often commit suicide, or other acts of self mutilation.

Get counselling fast, it won't solve the problem overnight, but it is the only viable solution.

Answer 4

Why always ask about the negative? Sure, there are a small number of military men and women that go out and do this, but what about the ones that deliver food, clothing and toys to families in the war zones? Why don't they get mentioned? There's more good guys out there then bad.
On another note, the men and women overseas are attacked and threatened by men, women and children. It never crossed your mind to ask, why are they handing 10 year olds weapons to shoot at our troops?
By no means am I saying its acceptable or appropriate for anyone to be raped. I'm just asking that you consider the whole picture, for every one act of immorality, there's a hundred more acts of humanity. While the 100 acts of kindness doesn't rule act the one injustice, the one injustice, doesn't give anyone here or elsewhere the right to label my husband, family or friends as a rapist.
Yes, there are rapist in the military. But there are also sexual predators in our school systems, banks, grocery stores and even as guards in our prison systems. Some make it through the cracks, but ultimately they are found out and they will have to answer for there wrongdoings.

Answer 5

For a start your question is insulting in its generality.
If I asked the question "Why do mothers find it acceptable and appropriate to beat and abuse their children" I would be kicked out of the forum. Millions of soldiers have gone to war, the massive majority have not raped anyone, nor would find it acceptable.

In an attempt to answer the question I think you meant to ask.
War dehumanises. It has to, that is how soldiers can shoot, stab, maim and kill each other. For some people the line between what is acceptable and what is wrong becomes blurred, as they see different consequences for the actions to that experienced within normal society. Sometimes it is hard to see the distinction between enemy, and local civilian population.
In the worst cases rape has been used as a systematic attempt to exert control through fear over a civilian occupied population.

Answer 6

SWilliams shame on you! see how you have opened up a torrent of both extreme and naive views. Ask this question of either gender because it is not just one gender that commits such a despicable crime. Humankind is known to commit dreadful acts upon its own both within and outside of so called educated and "civilised" society. Many reasons are given for these acts but none can be justified, testosterone levels,drink, drugs mental instability all have been used but none are reason enough. The act is unreasonable in itself and as a former soldier (Commando)I have seen loutish displays by so called elite, disciplined people but then have seen similar unreasonable loutish displays by pumped up civilians on every sporting field you can mention. Intolerance, bigotry and political correctness the world over is endemic and when this type of question is asked on a forum like this you open up the proverbial can. Rape is a VIOLATION and your question is ill thought out and provocative, but then maybe this is what you wanted!

Answer 7

Rape is a crime in war or peace. A US Army sargeant has just been given a one hundred year sentence for rape in Iraq. He is now 21 - no hope ever of getting out of prison. No possibility of parole. He is a rapist of the worst sort who raped an under-age girl, I think she was 13. This rapist is an utter disgrace to the US Army. I trust that his sentence will remind all soldiers, not just those of the US Army, that they have a duty of care to protect the civil population and not harm them. Soldiers kill soldiers, not civilians and they do not rape.

I hope the 100 year sentence for rape by any soldier becomes mandatory. No options, no remission, no hope ever of parole. Rapist soldiers and others stay in prison until death.

Only the American Justices seem able to do the right thing. I do not trust the British Justice system. Far too lenient with criminals.

Answer 8

Only a very limited minority commit war crimes ! For starters for some that do its part of the environment they grew up in their conditioned to fight, steal, attack just to get by. These are again only a very limited minority, to serve, well here anyway, stringent psychological and aptitude testing for several weeks is conducted prior to enlistment, than comes the training regime and the breaking of a man to be rebuilt, my experience is limited to some but more than many, service & training that is not rape - thankyou ! Some are just wired wrongly and cover this up well prior to any release from ongoing high intensity combat and training situations. To the victor go the spoils, in ancient times this was common place, doesn't make in right just means that particular psyche has existed with men in combat situations for thousands of years. These days usually only those for whom military service somehow saved from a life in prison are really succeptable to this behaviour. The same can be or was once seen in many end of season football trips away - where the saying was what happenes on tour stays on tour ! Shocking as that may be it happens everywhere every year with every football code ! Not just as the spoils of war, as tragic as that may be !

Answer 9

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/gPKax

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 10

Rapes occur in wartime as they do in times of peace.Including Bosnia does not further your point for that was an ethnic conflict based on race, religion and ancient animosities not a true war. As a former soldier I know that it isn't acceptable or appropriate and I never met anyone that advocated raping anyone. What you have in cases of wartime rape are people that more than likley were inclined to rape if they were a soldier or not. So, do not attempt to lump all soldiers together it is not fair or accurate.
Also, considering the large number of participants involved in wars rapes are not very common.

Answer 11

Your commentary is rather fine-tuned. 'Raping and pillaging' has been going since forever! Half our ancestors probably have Viking and Roman blood in their veins. This is not to belittle the crimes perpetrated today. We are signed up to the Geneva Convention and those caught will be prosecuted. Incidentally, rape doesn't just apply to innocent young women (indeed, any women). Males, too, increasingly fall into the clutches of such reprehensible acts.