Date Rape

When people hear the word "rape" they might imagine a stranger leaping

out from the shadows of a dark alley and attacking someone. Although this is

partly true, most rapes are committed by people who know their victims. When

intercourse is unwanted and forced upon by someone you know, it is known as "

date rape." It occurs daily and is prevalent on virtually all college campuses

across the nation and in cities all over the world.

Date rape generally occurs when a man is alone with a woman. Although it

has been reported that men have been raped by women, it is much more common for

a woman to be raped by a man. There are several reasons why date rape might

occur. Sometimes a man thinks that a woman "owes" him something if he has taken

her out for dinner and a movie or if a woman acts in a friendly manner towards

him. The presence of drugs and alcohol are also a contributing factor to the

occurrence of date rape.

An example of date rape that occurs commonly, especially within a

college campus, is when both the man and women are drunk. In an environment such

as a college or university, parties are commonplace for students. It is a place

where friends can gather, listen to loud music, and get loaded. Typically, a man

will coerce a woman back to his apartment or dorm. This is dangerous for both

parties. The man may think that the woman is leading him on, that if she agrees

to go with him that it is an invitation to have sex. If the female seems to be

enjoying kissing or fooling around with the guy, he may think she is teasing him

if she decides to stop. The man may feel angry or rejected if this happens, and

may want sexual gratification anyway. The result can be rape.

If only the woman is drunk, the man may see this as an opportunity to

take advantage of her because she will most likely be less defensive towards him.

Some men plan the act of rape, and may use alcohol or drugs in order to lesson a

woman's judgment. In some cases, someone may slip a drug into a women's drink,

causing her to forget what had happened the night before when she wakes the next

morning. If a woman is intoxicated and has seemingly consented to having sex,

she may feel the next morning that she only acted that way because of the her

condition at the time. In a court of law, the man would be found guilty of rape.

Even if substance use is not involved, another factor is mixed signals

between the man and the woman. If a woman acts in a friendly or outgoing manner

towards a man, he may interpret this as a proposal to have sex. Even if a woman

says "no," the man may think that she is playing hard to get, that the "no"

really means "yes." Some men are sexually aroused when a woman struggles, and

may continue in an aggressive no matter what she says to him. This can occur to

people who have