Date rape is the forced or nonconsensual exploitation of a person in a sexual way. This may include sexual intercourse, anal sodomy, oral copulation, rape using a foreign object (such as a finger), or unwanted touching of intimate parts of a person’s body for the purpose of sexual arousal. The term “nonconsensual” includes people who have been drugged and are unable to give their consent. Date rape is a frequent occurrence across college campuses, and PV is no exception. Recently, the PVAMU PEACE Project sponsored a talk by the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. The session was very good and spotlighted some very important statistics. One key statistic is that 70 percent of rapes that occur are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. There is no difference between rape by a stranger and rape by an acquaintance: both are criminal offenses. Another key statistic is that 30 percent of rapes go unreported. Usually, victims of rape do not report the crime for fear of embarrassment, shame, or fear of retribution by the perpetrator or others.
The emotional impact of a rape can be severe and long lasting. Victims may experience body pain, difficulty sleeping, and a loss of ability to concentrate. They may feel physically unclean, even after washing. They may find themselves haunted by memories of the crime. They may experience guilt or confusion regarding their physical reaction to the assault. Intense feelings of fear, anger, anxiety, and depression may follow the rape. Victims may become overly concerned about their personal safety and begin to withdraw from people.
Rapists will often use alcohol or other drugs as weapons to render their victims helpless. Younger students, especially freshmen, are particularly vulnerable.
Rape and sexual assault are crimes that are taken very seriously here at PV. We have people whose sole job is the prevention of rape and working with rape victims: the PEACE Project. We also have police officers who are specially trained to deal with rape and sexual assault, and to protect the rights of sexual assault victims. The Student Counseling Center is available to help victims of rape understand their options and cope with the impact.
There will be a special workshop to discuss issues related to date rape. This workshop will be held on Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. in the University College auditorium. Representatives from the Peace Project and the Student Counseling Center will be there to share information about date rape such as how to prevent it and what to do if you or someone you know has been raped. The workshop will also address issues related to date rape drugs.