Rape…What is it?

Rape is forcing someone to have sex or participate in a sexual act against their will.

Rape…It CAN happen to you.

In the United States a rape occurs every six minutes.  In the United Sates about 17.7 million women and 2.8 million men have been raped.  One out of six women has been raped in their lifetime and one out of four college women have been raped.  Think of how many women you know in your life:  you, your sister, your mom, your aunt, your grandmother, and your best girl friend – chances are that one of them will experience a rape in their life.  Younger women are more likely to be raped than older women.  Fifty percent of the female victims of rape were raped before they turned 18 years old.  Do you think that rape cannot happen to you because you are only 16 years old?  Think again because you are one of the most likely victims of rape.  Women are also normally raped by someone they know.  Seven of ten women raped knew the person who raped them.  Just because you know of someone or have talked to them a few times does not mean that they can be trusted.  Eighty-four percent of women never report their rapes to the police.  If a rape is not reported it cannot be dealt with properly or prevented from occurring again.

Rape…How to prevent it.

• Trust your feelings and know your personal boundaries.  If something does not feel right, chances are it is not right!  Trust your instincts.  Use caution - Do not put yourself in potentially dangerous situations!
• Speak up and communicate well.  If something is making you uncomfortable tell someone and make sure they understand what you are saying!  Do not worry about hurting someone else’s feelings.
• Be assertive!  Know your surroundings: where you are, who is around you, and what is happening around you.  Stay in charge of the situation and if you need to get out of the situation.
• Have healthy relationships with respect.  This includes friends as well as boyfriends and girlfriends.  If someone is not treating you with the respect you deserve or not listening to you then get out of the situation.
• You CAN say no.  It does not matter what has happened in the past or what your partner says to try and convince you, if you do not want to do something, say no.  If the person is not listening when you say no, get louder and be more forceful and if necessary get out of the situation.
• It is OK to lie to protect yourself!

If you have been raped, remember, it is NOT your fault.  Get help and talk to someone you know and trust or call the police.

Article Written By: Jessica Hartman, February 2007

Resources:

§          U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice Special Report.  Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey. January 2006. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/210346.pdf

§          Minnesota Department of Health Resource kit for Preventing Sexual Violence.  http://www.health.state.mn.us/injury/pub/kit/index.cfm

§          Richmond, Mardi.  Planned Parenthood of Central Texas.  “Date Rape: Ten Things You Can Do To Protect Yourself.” Santa Cruz, 2001.