Acquaintance rape in which the rapist and the survivor previously knew
each other is a larger problem than most people think. Between fifteen and
thirty percent of college women have been the victim of acquaintance rape
at some point in their lives and two-thirds of rape victims between the
ages of eighteen and twenty nine know their attacker.[1] These alarming
statistics indicate the need for women and men to take precautionary
measures to prevent acquaintance rape.
Alcohol and drugs are by far the largest issue associated with
acquaintance rape. Statistics show that seventy-five percent of the date-
rapists and fifty-five percent of the victims had been drinking or taking
drugs before the rape occurred.[2] Women should avoid individuals, parties
or groups, when either alcohol or drug use is excessive. Date rape drugs
such as Rohyponol and GHB can be slipped into someone's drink to facilitate
a sexual assault without the victim being able to remember what happened.
Women should not accept beverages from someone they don't know and trust
and should always watch their drink and never leave it unattended. [3]
In addition to watching out for alcohol and drugs, women can take
several steps to reduce their chances of become a victim of acquaintance
rape. First, they need to learn to trust their instincts. If a place or
the way a date is acting is making a woman nervous or uneasy, she should
immediately leave. When possible, a woman should check out a first date or
a blind date with friends. A woman should meet in and go to public places
with someone she doesn't know well and she should either carry money for a
phone call and taxi or take her own car. She also should not leave a
social event with someone she's just met or doesn't know well.[4] A woman
needs to watch out for personality traits of a date that are common to
males involved in date rape. If a male...