Dating and Personal Safety

1
Dating and Personal Safety

• Presented by the UTD Galerstein Womens
• Center, Health Education and Crime Prevention

2
Definition of Acquaintance Rape

• ANY non-consensual sexual activity between 2 or
  more people who know each other.
• Can happen between friends, classmates, spouses,
  girlfriends, and/or boyfriends, people who just
  met, etc.
• Source Sexual Assault Facts Education
  (http//Rivervision.com)

3
The Facts.

• 1 in 4 college aged women will be the victims of
  a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault.
• 84 of college women who are sexually assaulted
  knew their attacker.
• Freshman women are at the greatest risk for being
  sexually assaulted.
• Most sexual assaults occur in a home or
  apartment.
• Source Sexual Assault Facts Education
  (http//Rivervision.com)

4
The Facts continued

• 50 of rape victims comply with the rapist
  demands, even though physical force is not used.
• 42 of rape victims never tell anyone about their
  experience.
• Males are also victims of sexual assault.

5
Alcohol and Dating

• Alcohol is the number one date rape drug.
• 90 of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol.
• The three mostly widely known rape drugs (GHB,
  Ketamine, Rohypnol) put into beverages have no
  taste, smell, or color.

6
The Perpetrator

• Most men are not perpetrators, but in sexual
  assault, men are usually the perpetrators.
• 84 of men involved in an acquaintance rape did
  not realize what they did was defined as rape
  (She wasnt kicking and screaming, she never said
  the word no).
• In a study conducted by Diane Russell, 35 of men
  said they would commit a rape if they thought
  they could get away with it.

7
That tricky thing called Consent

• What is consent (Am I going to have to have a
  signed contract)?
• What impairs someones ability to give consent?
• How can I make sure I have my partners consent
  (most perpetrators dont realize what they have
  done meets the legal definition of rape)?

8
Boundaries and Dating

• Talk openly with your partner about sex.
• If you arent willing to do something, dont be
  afraid to voice your opinions (establish ground
  rules from the beginning).
• Never make the decision to engage in something
  you are not comfortable with because you are
  afraid your partner will break-up with you (if
  that is the case, he/she is not worth it).
• Be wary of a partner that puts you down and tries
  to control the way you dress, who your friends
  are, etc.

9
Boundaries and Dating Cont.

• Dont allow alcohol to impair your judgement,
  especially when it comes to making decisions
  about intimacy.
• On blind-dates, it is a good idea to check out
  your date with people that know him/her, also
  going in a group is always a good idea.
• Never meet a blind-date at your home, meet in a
  public place, and always have cash on hand, in
  case you need to take a cab.

10
Trust your gut.

• If you are in a situation that makes you
  uncomfortable, leave!!! Fear is an important
  instinct that keeps us safe.
• Go to parties in groups, but dont depend on your
  friends to make good decisions for you. Dont
  leave anyone behind, especially if that person
  has been drinking heavily.
• Dont accept rides home from clubs, parties, etc.
  with a stranger (you heard it when you were kids
  and it still applies as an adult).

11
The Law..

• Being high on drugs or intoxicated is not a legal
  defense for an individual against date rape.
• The law states that if someone has been consumed
  more than the legal limit of alcohol, they can
  not give consent.
• Rape comes with a felony charge and the law takes
  it very seriously.

12
As a Man, You can

• Ask yourself how sexual stereotypes affect your
  attitudes and actions toward women.
• Accept a womans decision when she says no and
  dont take it as a challenge.
• Avoid clouding your judgment and understanding of
  what another person wants by using alcohol or
  drugs.
• Realize that forcing a woman to have sex against
  her will or without her consent is rape.
• Talk openly with your partner about sex.

13
What to do if you have been raped

• Do not clean up, bathe, douche or change clothes.
• Call the police immediately to report the
  assault.
• Go to an emergency room or nearest medical
  facility for a medical examination. Consider the
  possibility of venereal diseases or pregnancy.
• Call trained rape crisis volunteers to talk
  1-800-886-Rape.

14
Resources on Campus

• The UTD counseling center is available to all
  enrolled students, and has a 24 hour crisis line.
• The UTD police department has a female officer
  on staff that is trained specifically for assault
  on women.
• The UTD Womens Center has a counselor on staff
  that provides confidential counseling.
• Medical Center of Plano has a S.A.N.E nurse on
  staff, S.A.N.E. nurses are trained specifically
  to treat victims of sexual assault.