“Date Rape” is a harsh and cruel reality in today’s world. Date rape is assertion of power and an attempt to control. The concept of domination and submission is used to describe this harness act. It is a violation of trust and violation of the victim’s body. It causes lifelong emotional scars to the victim. Commonly, date rape is referring to drug-facilitated sexual assault and/or acquaintance rape. Usually date rape is not committed by anonymous people , it can happen after a first date or even years after dating the person. Majority of date rape is committed by men yet 81 per cent of men are raped by other men. 90 per cent of teen are usually acquainted with their attacker. One in every four women are victims of date rape, between the ages of 15 -25 years. One of every twelve mean force women to have sex with them. Unfortunately 90 % of date rape cases are not reported.
The question one always askes is what has caused this epidemic. Reasons such traditional socialization of the genders , the introduction of drugs and alcohol, lack of communication between the parties which includes body language and messages sent between men and women. The socialization process of men greatly affects their personality when they are adults and can also give us a guideline to the type of person he would be in a relationship. Traditional male socialization has conformed male’s to be very aggressive , competitive and to have a “never give up” attitude. Males who have been brought up with these characteristics tend to bring that aggressiveness to adulthood. Some feel that it is normal to pressure their date while others feel sex is a sure thing. Traditional female socialization tends to paint a picture of females not being confrontational and passive , they try to be acceptable to other but most importantly men. Women in most cases misread men’s thoughts and intentions. On the other hand there are women who , just not to be rejected by men agree to all they want. Men also misinterpret a woman’s body language and may feel a maybe is a yes. When women say No to men , they feel rejected and get aggressive. Hence , a major factor is miscommunication between the genders.
Drugs and alcohol, are used as weapons. Date rape is something that is planned and the individual has the intention to hurt. Alcohol is the number one used substance for date rape,as it clouds judgement. The “date rape” drug is called by many names roufies, roaches etc. this is an illegal tranquilizer slipped into drinks of victims. It takes fifteen minutes to half an hour to work. It is odourless, tasteless and colourless. A drugged individual will be tranquilized for eight hours, and when finally awake it may take another fourth-eight hours to go from the system. Another very popular drug used is liquid ecstasy or GHB ( grievous bodily harm)
Date rape is something that can be avoided once educated about it. The individual should think about how they will react if they are to confront a situation like it. Individuals must be proactive and express their opinion on sex. When out avoid excessive alcohol and drugs. Some tips one must know , only accept canned drinks or drinks in cup that you see the bartender take out. Discard any unattended drinks. When going on first dates don’t go by yourself or go in groups till you get to know the person. Always trust your ’gut’ feeling. If ever in the situation take control and be assertive, use the word “rape” if the individual doesn’t stop. For men , they must realise that rape is a crime and can face up to five years to life imprisonment, women have to legal right to call off anything that makes them uncomfortable. Don’t make assumption. Always communicate. Don’t misunderstand sex for closeness and always clarify mixed signals. If you have been a victim of date rape , call a friend at a time like this you need support and will need someone to take you to the doctor. Don’t shower, or change your clothes . Go straight to the hospital. Specimens are taken at the hospital as evidence if one wants to press charges. You have the right to request a female physician. Find a support group or attend counselling sessions. And don’t blame yourself.
In my opinion this video I feel as if it has touched in a nutshell all the aspects one should know about to get knowledge about this epidemic. After seeing this so many could have been date raped and not even known what has happened to them , the thought of this to me is very frightening. In my opinion many causes for date rape but the main reason is the man takes advantage of the situation in order to get what he wants. The women is not to blame even if she is sending signals to man indicating that she wants sex. Not only are they to blame but alcohol gives men and women the excuse to say that they were drunk and couldn't control their actions. The fact is date rape can be avoiding by making responsible decisions and or avoiding the situation. Women need to understand what is going on with the situation of date rape, and be looked on less as the problem, so more women will come out and report the incident. It is not in any way the woman's fault for being the victim of date rape, but it is the fault of the rapist, and the rapist should pay the consequences.
I feel as if women have fought to have greater rights, but with rights come responsibilities, and with those come the ability to be responsible and to understand the messages you give out, how a man might perceive them, and to understand that biology between men and women whilst not uncontrollable is a powerful force. Date rape is something that the public must be aware of and more should be done to ensure that all is educated about it , especially in our country where our lifestyle has been pushed into a direction of partying and most have a “carefree” attitude forgetting or simply being ignorant of the bigger issues in the society.