Date and
Acquaintance Rape: A Glance at the Facts…
What
is Date or Acquaintance Rape?
Date rape
doesn’t usually involve weapons or extreme physical force. Often, date rape
involves one person ignoring the other’s protests, pinning or holding the other
down, or taking advantage of someone who is physically helpless, incapacitated,
or doesn’t understand. Offenders may incapacitate their victims using alcohol
and/or drugs. Acquaintance rapes make up the majority of all rapes
committed.
Who are the Offenders?
A U.S. Department of Justice report titled
Sex Offenses and Offenders: An Analysis on Date Rape and Sexual Assault states
that in nearly 3 out of 4 instances of all rape and sexual harassment, the
offender was not a stranger. For college women, in 9 out of 10 cases of
both rape and attempted rape, the victim knew the assailant.
At least 1 in 4 young women is raped or
experiences an attempted rape by a peer. Approximately 90% of the time, the
victim is female.
Over 95% of the time, the perpetrator is male.
Identifying
Rape
Many people who have been
the victim of date rape do not initially identify their experience as rape for
many reasons such as:
-
Embarrassment
-
Incomplete
or inaccurate understanding of the legal definition of rape
-
Not wanting to define someone they know as a rapist
-
They blame themselves
-
Others blame them or they perceive that others will blame them.
76% of women who
were raped and/or physically assaulted after age 18 were assaulted by a current
or former husband, cohabitating partner or date.
How many rapes are reported?
Of all rapes and sexual assaults committed in
1994 and 1995, only 32% were ever reported to the police. In contrast, among
victims of violent crimes that resulted in serious injuries, 75% were reported
to the police. A study of college women found that for this population, fewer
than 5% of completed and attempted rapes were reported to law enforcement
officials. One-third of these college women did not tell anyone.
What Can You Do?
Acquaintance rape is never okay, under any circumstances.
The most effective way to end sexual assault is to talk about it - with
family, friends, and in our communities. Talking about rape can help
people recover if it has happened to them. Talking about rape also helps
change societal attitudes that contribute to sexual assault and victim blaming,
and can help prevent sexual violence.
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