Theories of rapeA man accused of raping 31 women in New York! Have you ever seen a crime in the news and wondered how someone could commit such a heinous act against another person? This is the work of a criminologist. Study crimes, criminals, victims, environmental and social factors, etc. in order to develop theories and reasons why people commit acts against others (Brotherton). Criminology is not a new concept, but it is evolving. For this reason, many theories have been developed by sociologists and psychologists about why crimes are committed, who commits them, and other factors that played a role. Take for example the crime of rape. Rape is an unwanted sexual act committed against another person by force, deception, or under the influence of a substance. Although most rape victims are women, the crime has been expanded to include rape against a man or a person of the same sex. Rape is not an easy concept to deal with, nor is dealing with a rapist. For the purposes of this article, rape will be explained by three theories, biological, psychological, and rational choice, all of which criminologists have deemed appropriate to the crime. Biological theory is the concept that focuses on certain biological characteristics believed to be associated with an increased risk of engaging in criminal or deviant behavior (Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, 2010). Early biological theories tended to focus on physical appearance as a distinguishing trait of criminals, while modern theories primarily argue that biology is one of many factors that contribute to criminal behavior (Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, 2010 ). Early rape theorists included that of Johan Lavater, Fran's...... middle of article......riminology.phpCook, M. (2006). Categorizing rapists Understand the different types of attackers and their crimes. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://valen1971.webs.com/Assessments/Categorising%20Rapists.pdfGET THE FACTS. (2007). Medina and Summit Counties Rape Crisis Center. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://www.rccmsc.org/resources/get-the-facts.aspxJewkes, R. (2012) Rape Perpetration: A review. Pretoria, Sexual Violence Research Initiative. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://www.svri.org/RapePerpetration.pdfProfiling A Rapist. (nd). Profile of the rapist as an ordinary man. Accessed April 21, 2014, from http://budokan.wcart.net/WomenSelfDefense/RapistProfile.htmStatistics. (nd). Statistics | RAIN | National Network on Rape, Abuse and Incest. Retrieved April 21, 2014 from http://www.rainn.org/statistics?gclid=CJT7sb3b8L0CFY0-MgodBz0Avg.