Date Rape

Date Rape on College Campuses:

I. Introduction of ourselves and our project to the class.

a. We will tell the class a little bit about ourselves and then give a brief overview of what we will be discussing within the class time period.

b. We will tell the class some shocking statistics concerning date rape on college campuses.

II. Rape

a. Legal definition of rape.

i. Definition of what rape is has proven to be a complicated process- changed through out history.

ii. The definition of rape according to the FBI is the "carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will".

iii. Pennsylvania Crime Code 18 Pa.C.S., the act is considered rape if taken:

1. "by forcible compulsion, by threat of forcible compulsion that would prevent resistance by a person of reasonable resolution, who is unconscious or where the person knows that the complainant is unaware that the sexual intercourse is occurring, where the person has substantially impaired the complainant's power to appraise or control his or her conduct by administering or employing without the knowledge of the complainant, drugs, intoxicants or other means for the purpose of preventing resistance, or who suffers from a mental disability which renders the complainant incapable of consent"

b. Prevalence of rape.

i. National Crime Victimization-, less than half are even reported, and among young women, the group four times most likely to be victimized, the prevalence of reporting is the smallest.

ii. There were 209,880 victims of rape in 2004 alone.

III. Acquaintance rape

a. Question: What images come to mind when you think of a rapist?

b. What it date rape?

i. 2/3 of all rapes are committed by someone known to the victim, and in 2004 it was broken up to 47% of perpetrators being a friend or acquaintance of the victim, 17% an intimate partner and 3% a relative.

ii. It is the least likely to be reported- stigma and problems with victim blaming.

IV. College Acquaintance/Date rape

a. Mary Koss Study

i. 84% of college women know their attacker, 42% did not tell anyone about the assault, and only 5% of the victims report the event to the police.

ii. 1 in 4 women raped or attempted rape

b. Date Rape/Party Rape

i. Usually occurs in isolated areas (rooms, cars)

ii. It is force, manipulation, date rape drugs, alcohol

iii. However- less violent plus alcohol means fewer charges of rape brought on assailants.

iv. Koss- 55% involve alcohol- * Law= if the person is too drunk to make a rational decision on yes or no, no matter if the assailant is drunk or not, it is RAPE!

v. Question: What is your opinion on date rape and alcohol? Women: How do you feel about it?

V. Victims/Assailants

a. Victims- Hard to predict, but there are some trends, such as:

i. new environment, no safety net

ii. low self esteem

iii. easily manipulated

iv. around alcohol

v. "traditional roles"

b. Assailants

i. Not classified by "psychopaths"- they are usually men who seem normal.

ii. Messages sent to young men- images of aggressive, dominant males.

iii. Sex is a conquest, the ultimate challenge.

iv. Male peer groups- influence each other, narrow views of masculinity, "group think"

v. Question: What do the males in the room think? Ever heard "I'm gonna get laid tonight!!" Does that influence views that date rape may be ok??

VI. Big Problems

a. Ignored Crime

i. Low report rates= people don't know how often it goes on

ii. Women afraid they won't be believed

b. Stranger rape v. acquaintance rape

i. Stranger rape thought to be "rape"

ii. Causes prevention to be made on college campuses that isn't actually helping.

VII. Is communication and gender involved in Date Rape on college campuses?

a. Drugs and alcohol can help advance a date rape situation.

i. Seventy-four percent of perpetrators had been drinking alcohol prior to the date rape incident and fifty-five percent of victims had been drinking.

ii. Alcohol can inhibit decisions and make it harder for a woman to communicate "No" to her attacker.

b. Camille Paglia argues that women invite rape through their actions.

i. Some of these actions may include being along with a man, wearing sexually revealing clothing, and /or drinking alcohol at parties.

ii. We will ask the class some questions involving these accusations that women invite rape.

iii. Paglia believes that college-aged women are more likely to be raped than other women.

1. They are far from home.

2. They tend to be vulnerable and defenseless.

a. Do the women in this class feel defenseless against men? More so, then when you were in high school?

iv. Camille Paglia believes date rape can be easily prevented if college women took action and didn't wear revealing clothing.