Rape is a sexual act imposed upon a nonconsenting partner.
The method of imposition is often violent, though it may be by threats or intimidation or abuse of positions of authority. Rape is one of the most misunderstood of all crimes, and when the victim is male, the misconceptions are severely compounded. Nonetheless, rape of males in the non-legal sense is a much more common event than is usually supposed, covered as it is with a blanket of silence. If prisoners are included, on any given day in the United States there may be more males raped than females. It appears that the rape of females by females, while not unknown, is very rare, and little is known about it.