Acquaintance & Date Rape
Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual contact forced on a person without their consent and may range from non-accidental touching to forced intercourse. Sexual assault is about power and control over another person - it is not about sex.
When we hear about sexual assault, we tend to think of the attacker as someone we don't know. Although stranger rape does happen, acquaintance rape and date rape are more common.
Over 75% of rape victims know their attackers. As children you were warned not to tald to strangers. The fact is, you are more likely to be assaulted by someone you know: a friend, date, ex-boyfriend, classmate, neighbour, relative or employer. Realistically, those closest to you can easily take advantage of and assult you.
Acquaintance rape consists of using physical forsce, emotional bargaining, blackmail or mind games to force sexual intercourse, fondling, kissing, holding or any other sexual contact. If it is against your will, it is against the law.
Date rapes often occur as a result of misunderstood sex role behaviours and/or communication styles. Males who regard sex as “scoring” and are sexually aggressive often believe they can convince a woman to have sexual intercourse with them with a little persuasion or force. Females frequently say no too softly or indirectly because they don't want to hurt feelings or jeopardize a relationship.
Effects of Sexual Assault
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted it is not uncommon to have a wide range of emotions and symptoms. Even if counselling wasn't sought initially ( most victims don't), counselling can help months or even years after the assault.
Some of the emotions a victim may experience include guilt, inability to trust, fear, isolation, depression, anger, low self-esteem and a fear of intimacy.
Physical symptoms may include anxiety attacks, headaches, disruption in eating and sleeping patterns. Long-term effects may include isolation, guilt, shame, anger obsession-type behaviours, disruption of normal sex life, flashbacks, eating disorders, addictions, sleep disorders and chronic depression.
If someone you care about has been sexually assaulted, you may also be experiencing emotional trauma such as nightmares, anger, guilt, isolation, depression, etc. You may find couselling for yourself helpful as well.
Statistics
- Women make up the vast majority of victims of sexual assault (82%) and other types of sexual offenses (78%).
- In cases reported to police, 84% of women who were raped knew their attackers.
- 28% of women are raped by boyfriends, 35% are raped by acquaintances and 5% are raped by a family member, wile the remaining 32% were assaulted by a stranger.
- Sexual assault happens to 1 in 4 Canadian women at some point in their lives.
- The largest target group of women who are sexually assaulted is between the ages of 14-24.
- Nearly 50% of all assailants who force women in to sexual intercourse are married or living common-law at the time of the assault and are considered responsible members of the community.
- A woman is sexually assaulted by forced sexual intercourse every 17 minutes in Canada; a woman is sexually assaulted in many other ways every 6 minutes.
- In more than 40% of incidents of violence against women, the attacker was drinking.
- 49% of all sexual assaults occur in broad daylight.
- 64% of sexual assaults occur at home.
- Most incidents of violence against women have an emotional impact on the victim.
- Only 8% of women who are sexually assaulted report to the police.
