There are many questions concerning what date rape actually is. One criminal justice book states date rape is unlawful forced sexual intercourse with a female against her will which occurs within the context of a dating relationship ( Schmalleger 735). There are many other meanings that could define date rape, however this is from a legalistic point of view. Date rape occurs on almost every campus large or small, private or public, rural or urban. There are many elements that attribute to the causes of date rape: drugs and alcohol, miscommunication, and changing sexual mores.
Date rape often occurs with people that the victim knows and who would supposedly be their friends. This usually happens when the woman is alone with the man. It can occur when others are relatively close by such as outside a house, or downstairs in a house. The mix of drugs and alcohol are significant factors of date rape. They compromise your ability to make responsible decisions. Drinking has become a popular social activity amongst college students and has been seen throughout society as setting the mood for romance.
After a few drinks a womans judgment is altered, and it is often difficult to push away sexual advances. Women can say that they drank too much or did too many drugs to know what exactly was happening. Many people will say that when alcohol is in their system, it disables your vision, allowing other people to become more appealing to the eye. This could be one of the reasons why date rape often occurs on college campuses at fraternity houses or bars. Between a womans lowered inhibitions and delayed reactions and a mans raised confidence, it is often difficult to resist some sexual advances.
Sometimes a woman will pass out and wake up with a man having sex on top of her. The woman would not even know that she was being raped if she hadnt woken up. This also wouldnt happen if she werent under the influence of alcohol or any other drug. Rohypnol (roofies) is referred to as the date rape drug. This drug is a sedative, meaning that it makes the person drowsy. Rohypnol is much stronger than any other sedative, making it illegal to prescribe or use in the United States. Looking like an aspirin, Rohypnol can easily be placed into a womans drink.
The woman would not even know whether it was in her drink because it dissolves, and it is odorless and tasteless. The drug knocks you out so you have no idea what is happening, nor do you remember what had happened. Often Rohypnol is used in date rape because the woman wouldnt even know that she was being raped, nor would she have denied sex. Alcohol and drugs play an important role in date rape, so a woman should be cautious when drinking and to whom and where her drinks are being placed. Miscommunication is another important cause of date rape.
The woman may act friendly, and the man would interpret that as an invitation to have sex. No can be heard as maybe and even a consistent and strong protest can be ignored, under the delusion that no can actually mean yes. For if the girl did not physically resist, then sex did indeed take place by clear and mutual consent (Rothbard 271). If communication about sexual intentions were clear and firm, it would be easier for the man to accept a womans decision. Advances by males, in almost any form, that do not receive clear and explicit consent are deemed coercive or assaultive (Gilbert 278).
Acting in manners of flirtation and strong sexual signals, this often gives off the message of wanting sex, being assertive and cautious would help the miscommunication. Some men find it sexually exciting and kinky for a woman to struggle. If a womans protest isnt very strong, a man may think that he is persuading her into having sex. The man will believe that the womans struggle is just an act of foreplay, urging sex to happen. Men have been taught early in their lives to turn no or maybe into a yes. Sometimes a woman isnt sure if she wants to have sex.
She doesnt necessarily want to go along with it because of the stereotype of being loose. She could go along with sex, never having consented to it, but not denying it either. If she then proceeds and during decides not to go through with it, the man could become angry and hostile. Then the man would force the female into sex, and he would then be raping her. The miscommunication between males and females about sex should be clear so that there is not question of whether the man raped the woman or not.
Changing traditional mores of males and females in todays society also play a large role in the cause of date rape. Men are taught to be aggressors, from the sports that they play to their sexual feelings. This belief which encourages these actions often leads males to believe that they can have sex when they want it. Women on the other hand are taught to be lady like, and be passive. Women are often discouraged from having sexual feelings and experimenting with them. In todays society if a woman is to experiment with her sexual desires she is often called a slut, whore, or tramp.
This double standard allows men to act on their sexual feelings, but a woman can only do this if it involves some emotional aspect. In the last few decades there has been a loosening of sexual standards. The birth control pill and condoms have made many people engage in sex at a much earlier age, thinking they will not get pregnant or get a sexually transmitted disease. Many college men think sex is a given after dating a female a few times. Sometimes women may share the same expectation, but then again she may not. Many men need to educate themselves about what is permissible in various situations (Celis 267).
Some men believe that women that are already sexually active are willing to have sex with them. Then the man will try and when the female says no, the man will persist anyway. Traditions of sex and the male asserting dominance are changing, and females are becoming more informed and educated on the subject of date rape. Date rape is often an attempt to assert power, and feel superior to the female. Date rape has many elements at play roles in it including alcohol and drugs, miscommunication, and changing sexual mores.