Date Rape

When people think of rape they might think of a stranger coming from out of nowhere and sexually attacking someone. However most of the time this is not the case. A rapist can be someone you know very well which is actually very scary to think about. According to an article I found on date rape is stated that “about half of all people who are raped know the person who attacked them…girls and women are most often raped, but guys also can be raped”kidshealth.org (D’Arcy Lyness PhD, 2009). When forced sexual acts occur between two people who know each other it is known as date rape or acquaintance rape. Also, even if the people have had sexual relations before it is still considered rape if both parties didn’t consent to it. I found this image on http://www.flickr.com/

Rape is not about sex or passion and has absolutely nothing to do with love. It is considered an act of aggression and violence followed by a label and punishment. People who were raped are not to blame and it is always the rapist fault even if the person raped was dating them. Sometimes people say oh well they were asking for it because of what they wore or how they acted but again it is never the victims fault.

I found this image on flickr.com

Drugs and alcohol often play a role in date rape. Drinking and using drugs makes a person less aware of their surrounding and they may do things that they might not normally do when they are sober. People often drug their victims drinks by putting “roofies like GHB, xanax and ketamine…drugs like these can easily be mixed in drinks to make a person black out and forget things that happened” kidshealth.org(D’Arcy Lyness PhD, 2009). It is always important to watch your drinks and make sure you don’t leave it unintended because there are a lot of messed up people out there waiting to take advantage.

To help protect yourself from being raped it is important to take certain precautions like avoid secluded places, stay sober and aware of your surroundings. Also don’t hang around people who you don’t trust if you have any doubt in your mind about a person leave. People should also hang out in groups. Most importantly, if you’re not ready to have sex and you’re in a relationship let your partner know so that you’re both on the same page. If you are a victim of rape it is very important for you to seek help and talk to someone. Rape can be equally physically and emotionally damaging to people who have went through such a traumatic experience.