Controversial Issue: Date Rape

IS DATE RAPE ABOUT SEX OR POWER?

Defining Date Rape seems to be one of the hardest things, when it comes to the behavior itself.
Is she "asking for it" with seductive clothing? Do the mixed messages during "making out" allow for its justification?
According to Pirog-Good and Stets, rape is an act of a sexual nature that is forced upon an unwilling victim or that an unwilling victim is forced to perform on someone else. In contrast date rape is a sexual assault that occurs in either serious or casual relationships. Casual dating couples might include those who have met at a party or on a blind date. Date rape is an act of aggression and violence; this implies that the rapist is seeking to assert anger, power, and control.
Some of the statistics of date rape are the following:
 Most female victims of date rape are between ages of 12 and 18, 40% being virgins
 Women and girls are more likely than men and boys to report being victims of dating violence (less than 30% for males on college campuses)
 As the consumption of alcohol by either the victim or perpetrator increases, the rate of serious injuries associated with dating violence also increases (over 55% of incidents)

The most interesting thing we found, concerning the factors that reduced internal inhibitions, were the attitudes of victims. The highest risk group of these women...
1. value traditional sex roles
2. have an acceptance of violence
3. endorse the "rape myth" (that they asked for it)
4. have been a victim of PRIOR ABUSIVE acts (like molestation)

Clearly, not having clear concepts of boundaries and/or assertiveness is a problem, but coupled with the pre-conditions of the average rapist, one can see how prevalent this issue becomes...

Factors that enhance motivation to sexually abuse...
1. power and control needs
2. miscommunication about sex
3. emotional incongruity
4. imbalance in power differential

What are your thoughts and ideas about this issue?


Johnson, I. (2007). Age of Greatest Risk for Victimization. Journal of Criminal Justice, 35 (6), 622-629.
A sample of 868 female college students and data collected from three studies over an eight- year period. The article examines the nature of force in intimate relationships among maturing adolescents.