I am aware of the surveys reporting that 1/3 of men would commit rape if they could get away with it, and I am skeptical. Since, according to other research, men do get away with it, does that mean that 1/3 of men are serial rapists?
What one tells a surveyor he would do in some hypothetical, imaginary situation is probably vastly different than what he would do if confronted with the actual, real-life situation.
Also, people lie on surveys. That is especially true of young college-age men. When I was that age I considered lying on surveys an entertaining form of recreation. I probably would have said that I would force a woman to have sex if I believed I could get away with it even though I never have and never would.
What does "getting away with it" mean? One could imagine a situation where he would escape legal accountability and overlook his own conscience. If he experiences a troubled conscience, did he get away with it? Was he considering his own conscience when he answered the survey? In his imagination was the woman reacting as she would likely be in reality?
Assuming the survey results are even valid, I don't think the answers to a survey reflect the actions one would end up taking when facing the reality of the situation.
Also, when it comes to statistics, I tend to side with Mark Twain:
Finally, what about the "grey" areas? Many would assert that sex with a woman who is intoxicated is always rape. But, consider this incident:
Would that involve rape?
