Date rape
Date rape is a specific form of acquaintance rape that occurs when an individual forces sexual relations on a partner with whom they have a social or romantic connection, often employing coercive tactics such as physical force, emotional manipulation, or drugging. This type of assault is notably perpetrated more frequently by men against women, though it can also affect male victims. Statistics indicate that over 50% of all rapes happen during dates, with a significant portion of these crimes going unreported due to victims' fear of retaliation or stigmatization. In college settings, the prevalence of date rape is particularly alarming, with estimates suggesting that 20 to 25% of female students experience sexual assault during their time on campus, often at the hands of acquaintances or peers.
Defending against date rape allegations can be complex, as perpetrators may argue that consent was given, complicating legal proceedings. Victims of date rape often experience heightened trauma compared to those assaulted by strangers, primarily due to the betrayal of trust and the tendency to self-blame. Understanding the dynamics of date rape, including the psychological impact on victims and the social contexts in which it occurs, is essential for fostering awareness and prevention strategies.
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Date rape
Rape, as defined by the National Violence Against Women Survey in 2000 (conducted by the U.S. Justice Department), is forced vaginal, anal, or oral sex. In 2011, the FBI changed its definition of rape to “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Acquaintance rape is a form of rape perpetrated by persons whom the victims already know. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 85 percent of all rapes are committed by persons whom the victims know. Date rape is a specific form of acquaintance rape that most commonly occurs when a man (less than 2 percent of rapists are women) forces sex on a woman with whom he has a social or romantic relationship by means of physical or emotional coercion or drugging the victim.
Men who rape women on dates may believe that the women owe them sex because they are spending money on them. Those who are likely to rape their dates often exhibit warning signs. For example, they tend to be physically or emotionally abusive to their dates or others, they talk negatively about women in general, they try to get their dates intoxicated (sexual assault and alcohol use), and they become hostile or aggressive when their dates reject their sexual advances.
It is estimated that more than 50 percent of all rapes occur during dates. However, while 55 percent of rapes committed by strangers are reported, only 19 percent of acquaintance rapes and only 2 percent of date rapes are reported to the police. One of the most common reasons for nonreporting is the fear of reprisal from the assailants.
At colleges and universities, an estimated 20 to 25 percent of female students are victims of rape during the years they spend on campus; about 52 percent of those rapes occur on a date. College fraternity members are three times as likely as other male students to commit date rape. Date rapes are also disproportionately committed by college athletes. Among male victims, more than 52 percent report being raped by an acquaintance.
When date-rape cases go to trial, they differ from stranger-rape cases, in which defenses may argue that the accused rapists have been misidentified, or that no sexual acts occurred. Defenses in criminal date-rape cases often argue that the alleged sexual acts were consensual. Therefore, the prosecutor must look for evidence demonstrating the use of physical force, such as photographs of genital and other physical injuries, damaged clothing, the existence of alcohol or other drugs in the victims’ blood or urine, interviews with people to whom the victims have disclosed information about their assaults, and evidence from the rape scenes. In an estimated 90 percent of rape cases, physical evidence is available. However, only about 20 percent of that evidence is actually collected.
From the perspective of the victims, date rape is often more traumatic than stranger rape because the victims are more likely to blame themselves for being raped. Moreover, the experience of being raped by trusted friends causes the victims to lose their ability to trust others.
Bibliography
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Gosselin, Denise Kindschi. Heavy Hands: An Introduction to the Crimes of Intimate and Family Violence. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.
Paludi, Michele Antoinette. Campus Action against Sexual Assault: Needs, Policies, Procedures, and Training Programs. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2016. Print.
Planty, Michael, et al. "Special Report: Female Victims of Violence, 1994-2010." Bureau of Justice Statistics. US Dept. of Justice, Mar. 2013. PDF file.
Sanday, Peggy Reeves. A Woman Scorned: Acquaintance Rape on Trial. Berkeley: U of California P, 1997. Print.
Smith, Merril D., ed. Sex without Consent: Rape and Sexual Coercion in America. New York: New York UP, 2001. Print.
"Statistics." National Sexual Violence Resource Center, www.nsvrc.org/statistics. Accessed 25 June 2024.
Warshaw, Robin. I Never Called It Rape: The MS Report on Recognizing, Fighting and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Print.