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Students
must take precautions to guard against rape
By
Jamie Rowe
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
Many
teenagers are heading off to college and
leaving home for the first time this fall.
With this newly found liberation comes many
dangers, including the risk of rape. Both
men and women, from incoming freshman to
seniors preparing to graduate can take steps
to reduce the risk of rape.
Education
is the key step in preventing rape. The
first step is knowing the legal definition
of rape. California Jury Instruction Code
(CALJIC) 10.00 defines rape as the act of
sexual intercourse with another person accomplished
without their consent by means of force,
violence, or threat. Even the slightest
penetration is considered sexual intercourse.
CALJIC 1.23.1 defines consent as positive
cooperation in an in an act or attitude
as an exercise of free will. A person cannot
give consent while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs and is not valid if the
perpetrator uses threats.
According
to Dean Stout, a judge for the Superior
Court of California, "A person has
up until penetration to say no. The court
can circumstantially infer non-consent."
A person doesn't have to verbally say no
or resist. If the person was impaired in
giving permission, then he or she was raped.
Another
important aspect is dispelling myths like,
"It could never happen to me,"
or "Only sex starved, crazed strangers
commit rape." The Sexual Assault Crisis
Agency (SACA) warns any one of any race,
any age, any religion, any sexual orientation,
or any income level can be raped and that
"57 percent of rapes experienced by
college women happened on dates." A
rapist can be anyone from the most popular
jock to the smartest guy in school. While
it is rare, men can be raped, too, most
often by heterosexual men. The act of raping
a person is about the power and control
the rapist can exert over his victim, not
about the sex act itself.
The
Sexual Assault Crisis Agency, which serves
21 cities, provides the following tips for
safe dating in their pamphlet, "College
Safety, Rape Prevention for Women and Men."
1.
Don't trust a date any more than someone
else you've known the same amount of time.
Be aware of and avoid men who display jealousy,
possessiveness or hostility toward women.
2. Communicate your feelings. Say "no,"
if you want your date to stop. If he or
she refuses to listen to you, he or she
is telling you he or she doesn't respect
your feelings or wishes.
3. Trust your feelings. If you think you
are being pressured into unwanted sex, you
are. Get out of the situation quickly, if
possible.
4. Pay attention to behavior that doesn't
seem right like someone invading your personal
space, someone blocking your way, someone
who doesn't listen to you or disregards
what you say, especially when you say no.
5. Be assertive. Respond immediately in
a clear, certain way when someone does something
you don't like. Stand up for yourself –
it's ok to be rude to someone who is sexually
pressuring you.
6. Learn self-defense. In some situations
physically fighting back can stop an attacker.
Practice your skills often to be comfortable
in using them.
SACA
also recommends watching out for date rape
drugs, including rohypnol (flunitrazepam)
and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). Both drugs
cause loss of consciousness and are tasteless,
odorless and colorless. To protect yourself,
follow these tips:
1. Never accept an unfamiliar beverage or
an opened drink form someone you don't know
well and trust.
2. Don't leave your drink unattended, but
if you do, throw it away and get another.
3. Don't share drinks with anyone.
4. Don't take drinks from a punch bowl or
container being passed around.
5. If someone offers to buy you a drink,
go to the bar and watch it being poured
and carry it yourself.
6. Don't drink anything with an unusual
taste, appearance or residue.
7. If you feel disoriented, or affected
in any way other than from normal alcohol
consumption, get to a safe place immediately
and get help.
8. Watch out for your friends. Have a plan
to check up on each other.
If
you have been raped, get medical attention
immediately. You may be pregnant or contract
a sexually transmitted disease. There are
certain medications to deal with these problems.
Also, the medical staff can collect evidence
up to 72 hours after the attack. This evidence
is becoming increasingly important in rapist
trials.
Should
you chose to report the rape, a Sexual Assault
Response Team consisting of a sex crimes
detective, a specially trained forensics
nurse, a rape crisis counselor and a deputy
district attorney will assemble to meet
with you. They will perform a detailed medical
exam, interview and counseling session.
The team will be there to help you through
every step of pressing charges and healing.
Mary
Van Valkenburgh, the executive director
for SACA, says, "If you don't want
to report the rape, but still want to talk,
call our hotline." The hotline number
is (562) 597-2002. Counselors will provide
crisis intervention, information and referrals
for rape survivors, their family and friends.
For
family and friends of rape survivors, SACA
recommends believing the survivor's account
of the assault, listening to her when she
is ready to talk, supporting her decisions,
respecting her right to heal in her own
time, and encouraging her to get support
and reach out to others who understand.
Van
Valkenburgh says, "We prefer if the
survivor sets up counseling with us, but
we certainly welcome the family to come
as well." SACA would also like to remind
family and friends, "Boys and men,
not just girls and women, are sexually abused
and assaulted. Both males and females need
understanding, caring and support in order
to heal."
If
you are interested in volunteering your
time to help SACA, the agency is holding
a four week, 48 hour training course starting
Sept. 17 through Oct. 2 on Fridays from
6 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Volunteers must schedule
a personal interview with the Volunteer
Coordinator, Shanna Holzer, prior to the
training course. If you are interested please
contact Shanna Holzer at (562) 292-5046,
ext. 101 or e-mail her at sholzer@sacastoprape.org.
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