Article - "Preventing Date Rape"

Preventing Date Rape

• Acknowledge that date rape is real!  According to the National Center for Victims of Crime a rape occurs every 2 minutes and a woman is victimized by an intimate partner every 52 seconds.  It is estimated that only 25% of rapes are reported.  The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress report, from a recent college campus survey, that 50% of college women have been a victim of rape, attempted rape, touched sexually against her will or was a victim of sexual coercion.  Additionally, 84% knew their attacker and 57% of date rapes occurred while on a date.  1/3 of all rape victims contract an STD from the rapist
  
• The first defense is psychological.  It's important to develop a psychological fortress concerning your rights.  Know that you have a right to be safe.  You possess your own body and you have the right to refuse sexual contact.  Therefore, if your date or friend makes advances that make you uncomfortable, firmly refuse.  Make it abundantly clear that you are not just saying "No", but "Hell no"!
• Avoid being alone with your date, especially if he has been drinking or taking drugs.  Steer clear of darkened, confined areas.  Stay in well-lit areas with a group of other people.  Double date.
  
• Alcohol serves to disarm a potential rape victim.  90% of all date rape cases occur when the victims are drunk.  Often the date rapist will seduce their victim with alcohol, then assault her when she becomes impaired or even rendered unconscious.  An ill-intentioned predator may provide the victim with highly sweetened alcoholic drinks in an effort to disguise the taste and quantity of alcohol present.  Since the sweetness masks the the alcoholic taste, the victim is unaware of how much she is imbibing.  In most date rape cases, alcohol is the culprit.  To prevent this from happening to you, watch what you drink and how much you drink.
• Date rape drugs, such as GBH, Rohypnol and Ketamine are another tool that date rapists use to tear down your defenses.  GBH's taste is easily masked by alcohol.  A tipsy victim is less likely to detect the strange, slightly salty flavor under an alcohol cover.  However, many date rape drugs are completely tasteless, colorless and odorless.   Rohypnol is especially dangerous as it causes amnesia.  When the victim wakes up, she can not recall the details of the assault, hence making police investigation and prosecution difficult.  For additional information on date rape drugs and the effects these drugs have on the body, visit:  http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/date-rape-drugs.cfm#c 
• To guard against date rape drugs, always follow these simple rules:
• Do not accept open drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) from anyone you do not know or do not trust.  Never leave your drink unattended.  The instant you turn your back, a predator could slip a dose of date rape drug into your drink.
  
• At bars and clubs, only accept drinks directly from the bartender and do not take your eyes off the bartender or your drink while it's being poured.  Never order from a waitress or allow someone else to bring you a drink.
• At parties, never accept drinks from a punch bowl, pitcher, mug or other open source.  Only drink from closed containers such as bottles or cans that you open yourself.
• If you feel intoxicated beyond normal for the amount of alcohol you have consumed, get help immediately.
• Your safest bet is not to drink alcoholic beverages at all.  Bring your own water bottle or thermos of your preferred beverage and drink what you have prepared instead of what is available at the party.  Politely, but firmly, refuse offers of drinks.  If someone remains persistent, excuse yourself and join another group.
  

• Yell for help...however, instead of shouting "help" or "rape", it is better to yell "FIRE".  This will improve your chances that someone will respond. 
  
• Use a non-lethal self-defense device such as pepper spray disquised as a ring, stun gun or kubuton to subdue your attacker.   The objective is to stop the attack NOW.
• Disgust him by saying that you are on your period, or are HIV positive.  Perform disgusting actions such as vomiting or urinating.

"What can YOU do to keep from becoming a crime statistic?"

REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM!  Be Informed!  Be Prepared!  Be Armed!