WITH THE INCREASED FREQUENCY OF REPORTED RAPE AND WITH POLITICAL EMPHASIS PLACED UPON RAPE BY FEMINISTS AND OTHER GROUPS, SOCIOLOGISTS HAVE BEGUN TO QUESTION THE VALIDITY AND UTILITY OF EXISTING INTERPRETATIONS AND HAVE SEARCHED FOR BETTER EXPLANATIONS OF THE PHENOMENON. GENETIC EXPLANATIONS OF RAPE BASED UPON EVENTS OCCURRING EARLIER IN THE LIFE OF THE OFFENDER ARE CONTRASTED WITH SITUATIONAL EXPLANATIONS WHICH FOCUS UPON FEATURES OF THE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE DEVIANT ACT, AND MORE PARTICULARLY UPON THE CONTINGENCIES WHICH FACILITATE THE ACT OF RAPE. WHILE GENETIC FACTORS MAY CREATE A POOL OF POTENTIAL RAPISTS, IT IS THE SITUATIONAL CONTINGENCIES WHICH EACH CONFRONTS IN HIS PARTICULAR SITUATION WHICH DETERMINE WHO ULTIMATELY COMMITS RAPE AND WHO DOES NOTE. SPECIFIC VARIABLES WERE TESTED IN A STUDY, INCLUDING FACILITATING TIME, FACILITATING PLACES, HARDWARE, AND OTHER PERSONS, WHICH, TOGETHER, FACILITATED THE CRIME OF RAPE. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT, FOR INSTANCE, MOST RAPE OCCURRED BETWEEN 8 PM AND 8 AM AND THAT CERTAIN PLACES THAT AFFORDED PRIVACY WERE FACILITATING TO RAPE. THE MAJOR CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY WAS THAT THE SITUATIONAL THEORY OF RAPE IS A USEFUL FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND FOR ADDING TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THIS CRIME. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MJW)