Mennonite Central Committee

Date Violence and Rape

1. Statistics
2. The Top 10 Things Youth Need To Know About Date Rape
3. What is the Age of Consent (AOC)?

1. Statistics

   The majority of rapes that occur are termed "acquaintance rapes" - the rapist and victim know one another. Trust your feelings. If you become uncomfortable in a situation, assertively ask the person to leave. Don't worry about hurt feelings. If possible, let a friend or roommate know who you are with and where you will be. Leave an address and phone number when possible.

   • 15% of rape victims are under age 12
   • 29% are age 12-17
   • 44% are under age 18
   • 80% are under age 30

   1999 National Crime Victimization Survey

    

   Age 12-34 are the highest risk years. Risk peaks in the late teens: girls 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

   2000 National Crime Victimization Survey

    

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2. The Top 10 Things Youth Need To Know About Date Rape

   1. Date Rape is forced or coerced sex between; partners, dates, friends, friends of friends or general acquaintances.
   2. Date Rape can be coerced both physically and emotionally - some emotional tactics include; threats to reputation, threats to "not like you", name calling, saying you "brought it on" or "really want it", threats to break up and threats to say you "did it" even if you didn't.
   3. If a person has had too much to drink or is on drugs, they can not consent to sex and having sex with them is legally rape.

   4. There are certain "date rape" drugs that render the victim unconscious and limit memory; using these drugs on somebody without sexually assaultive actions is not actually "date rape" but may be a crime.

   5. Rohypnol, GHB, "ActiveSeX", "Roofies", "Ruffies", "Roche", "R-2", "Rib" and "Rope." are commonly used names describing a date rape drug.
   6. These drugs are odorless and tasteless and difficult to detect when in drinks or mixed with other drugs.
   7. "Date Rape" drugs may be difficult to trace but evidence of intercourse is not, and in cases where use of these drugs is suspected evidence of rape standards are lower.
   8. If you don't want to have sex say NO. Despite common myths, people who fight off a rapist may be more likely to stop the rape.
   9. Date Rape is the most common form of rape (78%), with 1 in 4 girls expected to fall victim to rape or attempted rape before they reach 25, and 3 out of 5 rapes occurring before a woman reaches age 18. (Sources: Rape Statistics, Rape Statistics 1992)

   10. Although girls are more often victims of rape, guys can be raped too.

   NO MEANS NO!
   If a person says no to sex (no matter how quietly or unconvincingly) and you go ahead with it anyway, that is RAPE!

    

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3. What is the Age of Consent (AOC)?

   The Age of Consent (AOC) is the age at which you are legally able to consent to having sex. In other words, it is the age when you are allowed to have sex. If you are below the AOC you are not legally allowed to say "yes" to having sex. What this means is that you do not have the legal right to agree to have sex with anybody. For this reason, anybody who has sex with you is guilty of statutory rape, meaning they are guilty of rape by way of breaking a statutory law. Bottom line - you must have reached the AOC before you can agree to have sex with another person; and the person you have sex with must also have reached the AOC.

    

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