Rape/Date Rape Essay, Research Paper

Rape/Date Rape Rape is the act of sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent or with a minor. Generally, for the crime to constitute rape, the woman must resist, unless she is incapable of resistance because of mental or physical weakness or deterred from it by fear of bodily harm. A woman younger than a designated age, which varies in different states, is considered incapable of giving her consent . There are basically two kinds of rape, date rape and rape by an unknown person. Date rape is much more common, but the latter is the type of rape that most people associate with when they think of rape. Date rape typically occurs when a woman is alone with a man. Most cases happen when a woman and a man are alone at a house; or any other isolated place, for that matter. Sometimes parties are a prime place for rape , even if many people are present. For example, if the party is on the first floor, rape can occur in a bedroom upstairs or on another part of the house.Alcohol and drugs are a significant factor in date rape. On numerous occasions the victim has drunk too much, and she usually can t discern the situation and act logically. Or sometimes the victim has passed out and she is raped while she is unconscious. Mixed signals are another element in date rape. The woman acts in a friendly manner; the man interprets this friendliness as an invitation. “No” is heard as “maybe” and even a strong protest can be ignored under the misconception that women say “no” when they mean “yes.” Many times the woman is afraid of saying no firmly because it would be considered impolite or it would hurt the man s feelings. She says it while she is smiling or laughing. This mixed message is especially common in cases of date rape.Rape is a felony, which makes it a very serious crime. Women can press criminal and/or civil charges against the man who raped them. In general rape is often difficult to prove. A weapon is rarely used and so it is harder for a woman to prove that she was forced to have sex. It is almost always his word against hers. The man’s attorney may argue that the woman “wanted” to have sex with his client, did so, and then thought better of it and so charged rape . The woman has to prove that she did not want sex, resisted, and was overpowered. However, most rape cases, at least 65%, aren t even reported. For various reasons this happens: The victim wouldn t want the publicity, she may fear revenge by the raper, or other reasons. Unfortunately, many cases never even make it to court because they is a lack of evidence.

Most cases of rape can be prevented, especially in instances of date rape. There are many things a woman can do to minimize the chances of being raped. Before a person even starts a relationship she should know her position on sex, by this she should set limits on how far she d want to go with a person. And the best thing to do is to tell a partner early on her feelings about sex.Date rape occurs, many times, at the beginning of relationships because things are going too fast. However, there are things a person can do to avoid this. For example, until you get to know the person better you should go out on double dates, or with a group. Just to see how he acts towards you and others. However, if you do decide to go alone, you should avoid secluded places where you re vulnerable. Especially at the beginning of a relationship, you should go to places where there are other people, even if you don t the people there.Another thing is if you invite you date over or if you go over to his house, you should be careful, and aware of situations that can lead to rape. If your date makes you feel uncomfortable you should be assertive in your feelings and don t give mixed messages. However, the most important thing a woman can do for preventing rape is never to drink alcohol or take drugs, because these things can impair judgement and they very easily lead to rape.If a person is raped, the effects can be very devastating, especially emotionally. Many times the person feels like they have no control over their life. If it is acquaintance rape, many women feel like it s their fault because they had known the person, and that person never acted like that before. The thing that the victim should do first is she should tell an authority or tell a close friend/relative. It may be very hard to talk about, but this is the best way to get on the road to recovery. The victim should also understand that it wasn t their fault, and the raper was the one who did it. It wasn t brought on by anything the victim did. The best person to consult and talk to after a rape incident is a professional counselor . They are trained in this kind of thing, and he/she is your best bet. Another way to help the victim overcome the tragedy is by joining a support group. These are groups with other people who can empathize with the victim in what she is going through. The recovery process will obviously take some time, but with the help of family, friends, and others it can be a less painful and quicker time.