Here is an interesting study of 103 men in London, England who have bought the services of prostitutes. Some depressing statistics:
The more accepting they were of prostitution, the more likely they were to also accept cultural myths about rape such as “Women say no but they really mean yes” or “A woman who dresses provocatively is asking to be raped.” The notion that prostitutes are “un-rape-able” was a common belief among the men in this sample. Twenty-five percent told us that the very concept of raping a prostitute or call girl was “ridiculous.” Nearly one-half of the buyers stated that rape happens because men get sexually carried away (47%) or their sex drive gets “out of control” (48%). Sixteen per cent stated that they would rape a woman if they could be assured that they would not be caught. Acknowledging their sexually coercive behaviours with non-prostitute women, 37% told us that they had tricked non-prostituting women into having sex by lying to them. Twenty-four per cent asserted that the concept of rape simply does not apply to women in prostitution.
Fifty-four per cent of these London buyers subscribed to the theory that prostitution decreases rape. There is no empirical basis for this theory, nonetheless it is assumed to be the truth by many people, including these buyers. In part as a justification for prostitution, men who bought sex reasoned that if prostitution did not exist then they would be more likely to rape women who were not prostitutes. This belief was clearly held by one man who stated that “Sometimes you might rape someone: you can go to a prostitute instead.” Forty-one per cent of 110 Glasgow and Edinburgh men who bought sex also believed this theory (Macleod, Farley, Anderson and Golding, 2008). Another man explained, “Society benefits. I’ve heard that levels of rape have decreased due to Internet porn.” And, “Prostitution is a last resort to unfulfilled sexual desires. Rape would be less safe, or if you’re forced to hurt someone or if you’re so frustrated you jack off all day.”
From my experience, the idea that men are somehow unable to control urges is one of the strongest prevailing myths surrounding sexual violence. It is consistently used to provide excuses for a man's actions and subsequently blame the victim in the case of a male aggressor. Or, in the case of a male victim, it makes it difficult for any man stepping forward to find someone that believes him. The fact that men believe the stereotype themselves is doubly depressing, as it probably serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy
