"Date rapeRape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or without sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
", often referred to as
“acquaintance rape”, is an assault or attempted assault by usually a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent.
Drug-facilitated date rape is the use of drugs to assist the attacker in a rape. The drug can be any substance that is physical or mind altering. The phenomenon is not new. Instances of Drug facilitated sexual assault have been found in the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
.
The most common date rape drugs are
alcoholAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
, Rohypnol, and
KetamineKetamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
, but there a number of other date rape drugs on the market.
"Date rapeRape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or without sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
", often referred to as
“acquaintance rape”, is an assault or attempted assault by usually a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent.
Drug-facilitated date rape
Drug-facilitated date rape is the use of drugs to assist the attacker in a rape. The drug can be any substance that is physical or mind altering. The phenomenon is not new. Instances of Drug facilitated sexual assault have been found in the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
.
The most common date rape drugs are
alcoholAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
, Rohypnol, and
KetamineKetamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
, but there a number of other date rape drugs on the market. Most date rape drugs are virtually undetectable, as they are colorless, odorless, and usually tasteless. The newest forms of Rohypnol turn clear liquids blue and dark liquids cloudy, so that it is less discreet. Common side effects of the drugs are relaxation, drowsiness, loss of muscle control, nausea, blackout, coma, and sometimes death. They also have been known to lower blood pressure, cause stomach problems, confusion, amnesia, and hallucinations.
These drugs are illegal in the United States, and possession is punishable by law. However, they are easy to find in gyms, night clubs, and raves across the US. Many of these drugs are manufactured legally in Latin America and Europe. The effects of the drugs mimic alcohol intoxication, so many times the victim may not notice that (s)he was drugged. This is dangerous because many times the drugs are fatal when mixed with alcohol. Early detection is key in reporting drug-facilitated date rapes because the drugs leave the system within 12 to 72 hours.
Rohypnol (trade name for Flunitrazepam), is commonly known as a “club drug” because it is usually used in dance clubs and raves. Street names include: Circles, Forget Pill, LA Rochas, Lunch Money, Mexican Valium, Mind Erasers, Roach, Roopies, Roofies, R-2, Roches Dos, Rope, Rophies, Stupifi, Shays, etc.
KetamineKetamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
is commonly known as: Black Hole, Bump, Cat Valium, Green, Jet, K, Kit Kat, Psychedelic heroin, Purple, Special K, Super Acid, Keller, Super C, etc.
Alcohol is the most common date rape drug because it inhibits an individual’s ability to detect risky situations, such as rape.
- 55% of females & 75% of males admit to have been drinking or using drugs when acquaintance rape occurred.
- 90% of all campus rapes occur when alcohol has been used by either the assailant or the victim.
- As many as 70% of college students admit to having engaged in sexual acts primarily as a result of being under the influence of alcohol, when they wouldn’t have if they had been sober.
Effects of rape on the victim
Approximately 90% of rape victims, who knew their attacker, do not report the attack to authorities because of fear of guilt/responsibility, self blame, embarrassment, helplessness, denial, and a number of other emotional factors. There is also often confusion of whether or not consent was given, further causing the attack to remain anonymous. A person who has been a victim of rape may become distant, quiet, and may lack motivation. Some become depressed, anxious, or suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), while others may become promiscuous. Some of the victims choose to seek help through counseling.
United States
In 1996, President
ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
signed the Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act. This act gives harsh penalties for the use of the drug called Rohypnol. Four years later, the president signed another legislation banning
GHBγ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate, is a naturally-occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also a neuroprotective therapeutic nutrient that is...
.
People who use date rape drugs have a risk of up to an additional 20 years in prison. Any possession of Rohypnol, even if there is no intent of using it, has a sentence of up to three years in prison. Every state has laws pertaining to rape.