Acquaintence Rape

Acquaintance rape is using physical force, emotional bargaining, blackmail or mind games to force sexual intercourse, fondling, kissing, holding ... any sexual contact forced on you by someone you know. If it is against your will, it is against the law.

Information

• Over 80% of rape victims know their attackers. As children you were warned not to talk to strangers. The fact is you are more likely to be assaulted by someone you know: a friend, date, ex-boyfriend, classmate, neighbor, relative or employer.
• Acquaintance rape and date rape are more common than left-handedness or heart attacks or alcoholism. (Warshaw, 1988)
• One of the most common types of acquaintance rape is date rape. If you are a female between the ages of 16-24, you run the greatest risk of being raped by a date. The use of alcohol or drugs also increases your risk. In one study, 74% of the men and 55% of the women had been drinking or using drugs prior to the sexual assault.
• Date rapes often occur as a result of misunderstood sex role behaviors and/or communication styles. Males who regard sex as "scoring" and are sexually aggressive often believe "no" can be changed to "yes" with a little more persuasion or force. Females frequently say "no" too softly or indirectly because they don't want to hurt feelings or jeopardize a relationship.
• Realistically, those closest to you can easily take advantage of and assault you.

From The Women's Coalition of St. Croix