infuse - Date Rape

Email article to a friend. Date Rape By Mike James Rape can be defined as someone performing a sexual act against you without your consent. Date rape is defined as a person who you are dating performing an unwanted sexual act against you without your consent.
Some would also broaden the definition of date rape to include forced or coerced sex between friends, friends of friends and acquaintances. One major problem with date rape is the fact that it is the most underreported method of rape. It is also the most common form of rape according to some. In 1992, 78% of rapes were reported to be date rapes. Allowing a rape to go unreported may lead to someone else becoming a victim of that same rapist. The lack of reporting the crime may be due to the victims being concerned about retribution from the friends or family of the rapist. The victims might also feel a sense of blame and humiliation because they were involved with the rapist by their own choice.
Date rape is also a problem because it leads to further problems for the victim long after the rape. The victim might find it hard to trust people after the rape. Some victims’s begin to question their own judgment due to the trauma of rape. Drugs and alcohol can play a big part in date rape. Sometimes the victims are too drunk to know what is happening to them. Alcohol use is often involved in date rapes because it limits your inhibitions and can cloud your judgment. In other cases victims have been drugged by the rapist and didn’t even know what was happening to them. Two of the drugs that are often used in date rape are Rohypnol (“Roofies”) and Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB). These drugs are sedatives that are colorless and odorless. The rapist usually places the drug into something the victim is drinking. When the drugs are placed in liquid they dissolve. The drugs make you vulnerable to rape because you become sleepy and sometimes unconscious. Rohypnol can also cause problems with your motor skills, speaking and cause blackouts. Date rape is a major problem. Some say 1 out of 4 girls will be a victim of rape before they reach age 25. Here are some tips to avoid date rape: Go out on group dates rather than one on one. If you drink anything make sure you opened the drink and you always have control of the drink. Don’t drink alcohol on a date. Make sure that before you even start dating someone they know you are not interested in having sex. Stay in public places during your date. If your date makes you feel uncomfortable, have the means to get home on your own. Take a self-defense course. Practicing techniques to protect yourself might give you just enough time to escape a bad situation. Carry a loud noisemaker like a whistle whenever you go out. One final point I’d like to make is despite all the precaution’s you might take, date rape might still occur. Please don’t keep it to yourself. It’s a mistake not to report the rape because the person who did it to you might do it again to someone else. Keeping a traumatic event like rape to yourself can also lead to psychological issues. If you are a victim of rape please talk to your parents about it and get professional counseling. If you can’t talk to those close to you please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE(4673). The hotline operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week.