| Richard Felson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 10, 1950 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Institutions | The Pennsylvania State University |
| Known for | Sociology |
Richard Felson (born 10 October 1950 in Cincinnati) is a professor of Crime, Law, and Justice and Sociology at The Pennsylvania State University.He is also adjunct professor of Sociology State University of New York at Albany.[1]
Contents |
In 1994 Felson co authored the controversial book "Aggression and Coercive Actions: A Social-Interactionist Perspective" with James Tedeschi. This book challenged the theory that rape was a crime motivated by an aggressive desire to dominate the victim. Felson and Tedeschi argued that sexual fulfillment was a motive of rapists.[2]
This book drew widespread criticism from academic circles. Robert Prentky the clinical director of Philadelphia's Joseph J. Peters Institute argued that in a small number of cases sexual fulfillment was the motive. However the overriding motive was dominance of the victim.[3]
Felson has stated that he believes rape is a terrible crime and that the motive does not excuse the actions of the perpetrator.[2]