lt can happen to you!

Ladies
Beware—
Date Rape is
Rampant

TARA LEGARE

ape. The word alone is

Pitsite The meaning
ehind the word, though,

is what grabs hold of the
emotions that wrench deep
within us all. It is the word
that produces the image of
dark alleys, dull knives
pinching the skin of our necks,
and unfamiliar breath on our
flesh. But the truth is that four
out of five women who
experience rape are raped by a
partner, friend, or
acquaintance.

The restaurant is romantic,
the candles flicker between
you, the wine is flowing. He
seems to almost repeat all
those dreams that you've had
wandering around in your fic-
tionalizing mind since you were
a little girl. He takes you for a
walk. And then the night must
end. You are invited back to
his house for a nightcap. You
accept. You think that a kiss

 

 

means just a kiss. He thinks
that it’s an invitation to your
pants. If he wants to play the
enforcer and have the evening
end his way—and more times
than not, it will—the environ-
ment you're in won't matter.
Sexual assault occurs when
you refuse to have relations
with someone, but it is forced
upon you through emotional
pressure, physical restraint, or
violence. Sexual assault also
occurs when you are unavail-
able to consent; if you are
drugged, intoxicated, or asleep.
Most rapists won't have that
gun or knife to you. The only
weapon that he may be holding
is the one that will scare you
the most: threats. A survey of
6,159 college students found
that 54% of the women sur-
veyed had been the victims of
some form of sexual abuse;
more than one in four college-
aged women had been the vic-
tim of rape or attempted rape.
That puts those of us still in
college at an enormous risk. We
are the perfect target, the ideal
victim. Some of us have the
mentality that partying is the
ultimate in fun, the bar scene
is the place to be—where the
men can be seen. And,
although women make up the

 

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majority of rape cases, male
victims represent five percent
of reported sexual assaults.
They too are victims.

The night starts out right.
Bodies are intertwining on a
dance floor, music is thumping
under your feet, laughter
echoes over flirtatious small
talk. He asks if you're thirsty.
Of course you are. And once
that first sip rolls down your
throat, the rest of the night
may become a blur you will
later hope you forget for the
rest of your life.

It is a typical response to
think that this will never hap-
pen to you. You think that
you're safe, you're immortal,
you're too responsible to get
caught in a rapist’s claws. We
all think that way. We are all
wrong. With the introduction
of the now infamous ‘Date Rape
Drug; Rohypnol, this scenario
is even more likely to become
your reality. Rohypnol is also
known on the street as
“ruffies,” “roche,” “R-2,” “rib”
and “rope.” As well, its friend
GHB is becoming a common
alternative with similar effects.
Unfortunately, there is no way
to spot the silent killer. It is
both unseen and untasted. It is
slipped into your drink in the

bat of an eyelash, and you
have no way of knowing. Thirty
minutes later, the effects begin
to cloud you over. You are
drowsy, dizzy, confused. Your
motor skills are impaired along
with your judgement. You
remain this way for an hour or
two, then the drug floats
through your blood for another
six. According to the US Drug
Enforcement Administration
(DEA), more than 1,000 cases
of illegal Rohypnol possession
have been reported recently, in
thirteen states. To make the
matter worse, “Roofies” are
reportedly being sold for under
$5. Although these statistics
were taken in the United
States, Canada is its neighbour.
The monsters among us are car-
rying the tool and using it to
their advantage.

According the American
Medical Association, over 700
000 women are assaulted every
year. It is estimated that fewer
than 50% of rapes are actually
reported. The first thoughts
after an incident where you
have been physically violated
are ones of shame and embar-
rassment. The most common
response to any form of rape is
that maybe it is your fault. “I
shouldn't have had so many

drinks,” “Why was I there in
the first place?” and “I should
have stopped it after the first
kiss.” But never is it the fault
of the person who resisted,
physically or verbally. Never is
it all right to be forced into
unwanted situations. Never is it
acceptable to be taken advan-
tage of.

The only way to escape
becoming a victim is to not
accept a drink from anyone.
Get your cocktail straight from
the bartender, never leave your
drink unattended on a table,
and always make your friends
your bodyguards. They will be
your safety net if you lose your
sanity. Date rape is harder to
prevent. Be sure that you know
him well enough, always
remain in a public place for the
first few times, and know your
limits—how far you will go and
the consequences of drugs and
alcohol. There’s no absolute
way of preventing being the
next victim of sexual assault. It
happens at work, school, in
public. Anyone can force them-
selves on you anywhere. But
you have the choice and the
right to deny any advance-
ments; you are your own per-
son. And that person doesn’t
need to be a victim