We have read in Jane Goodall's book, Through a Window that when chimpanzees attack rival groups they almost always will fiercely attack the females. This behavior may be paralleled in human warfare, where women become the reward for military bravery, but unlike with chimps, infanticide is common. There are three areas which we will examine more closely. We will study the overall history of rape in war, and then focus in on the Vietnam War as an example. The genocidal rape and other violations of women in certain parts of the world are perhaps the most upsetting because they are occurring at this moment.
Rape occurs for a number of reasons.
Socially, men rape to feel powerful. By raping women, or taking away a woman's control over her reproductive choice, a man may feel more control over his own life. During war, when many men feel powerless because of rank, resorting to rape is a relatively easy way to regain some of their lost power. There also may be some biological reasons for rape. These reasons are mainly an attempt at reproduction.