Project Acquaintance Rape essays

Project Acquaintance Rape essays 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...