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The Friendly Stranger and "Date Rape"
Many attacks start with casual conversation - the assailant is
"sizing the woman up." If she is polite and friendly
(as most people have been taught to be), he will probably attempt
to intimidate her. Although most women feel uncomfortable about
such an encounter before it escalates, they don't want to appear
to be unfriendly or suspicious. If your gut-level response to
a man, whether a stranger or a friend, is uneasiness, try to get
out of the situation as quickly as possible, even if it means
being rude or making a scene.
Date rape occurs more frequently than reports seem to indicate.
The key to prevention lies in:
- AWARENESS
- TRUSTING YOUR INTUITION
- ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOR
Women have deterred assailants in a variety of ways. Talking
and thinking about what to do if attacked increases your chances
for successfully defending yourself.
It cannot be emphasized enough that sexual assault is a crime
of violence. Sexual assaulters are unstable persons who view their
victims as objects upon which to vent their rage, aggression,
frustration, or insecurity. They do not view their victims as
fellow human beings at that moment, and sexual gratification is
not a motive for their crime. They wish to humiliate and degrade
their victims, to make them lesser beings then they are. Too often,
the fantasy they are acting out carries with it the danger of
physical harm in addition to the crime of rape itself.
Where Can The Sexual Assault Occur?
Sexual assault can happen virtually anywhere, but the largest
single grouping of reported incidents is either in the home of
the victim of the home of the offender. It is important to be
aware of all potentially hazardous areas:
- Remote parking lots
- Stairwells
- Public parks
- Beaches at night
- Jogging courses
- School playgrounds
- On the street
- Shopping centers
- Hitchhiking
- Laundromats
- Deserted buildings
- Vehicles
Sexual assaults often occur in conjunction with other crimes
such as burglary, so the more effective preventative measures
and common-sense precautions you take, the less your chances of
becoming a victim. But regardless of how many or how few precautions
you take, you are not provoking the attack. A locked door gives
you time to call the police (911).
Survival Is The Goal
Prevention measures can reduce the risk of attack, but they are
not 100 percent effective. What can you do if you are attacked?
There is no ready answer because each situation is different.
Recent studies show that an immediate aggressive response will
be twice as likely to increase the possibility of escape but can
aggravate the situation. Submitting does not guarantee that violence
will not occur, however. Evaluate the situation for possible ways
of escape. If one method doesn't work, try another. Often victims
have tried several different escape ideas before one worked.
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