It has many common street names which are chilling to know. Such as, ‘EASY-LAY’ , ‘FORGET-ME-PILL’, ‘ROLL AND FALL, ‘GAMMA G’, ‘SOMATOMAX’, ‘ROCHE’ , ‘R2-D2’ and many others.
Through the grape vine, there have been stories of women trying to avoid and keep precautions buying drinks in cartons, but it is know to have the drug syringed in to the carton. Another fashionable way to entrap victims is to offer cigarettes to women or as women have the tendency to ask for cigarettes from strangers. The date drug has been rolled into the cigarette tobacco or on the paper, and the victim smokes her way in to the trap. Never ask or take anything from a stranger!! I thought this is what every parent advises their children? Don’t we learn? Or do we when it’s too late?
Ketamine is another powerful drug that is used. Again it causes you to completely lose control of your body. It can cause unconsciousness, hallucinations, numbing and amnesia. It may also cause agitation, difficulty in speaking and hearing. This brings chills down my spine. In the 1960’s doctors created Ketamine as an anesthetic. Also like Rohypnol. Ketamine is by prescription only and is mostly used in the veterinarian field. They are two forms of Ketamine: liquid or white powder. Ketamine can be snorted, shot into the skin or mouth. You are knocked out in minutes!
The conclusion comes about to how do we protect ourselves? How do we stop this?
The answer we can’t! But we can take precautions and think logically when we are out in order to have fun and feel safe!!
Here are a few points that might help silly mistake become serious and life changing:
- Do not accept open drinks
- In clubs or bars, always get your drink directly from the bartender. Do not take your eyes off the bartender or your drink.
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- If you set down your drink, do not pick it back up again. Get a new one.
- Do not drink from punch bowls, pitchers, or tubs.
- Always make sure you are in the company of a trusted friend who can help you to safety should you find yourself passing out from a spiked drink.
- Don’t share drinks with anyone even a good friend
- Drinking mixed-drinks from a wide-mouthed glass is asking for trouble
- If you are drinking, you are strongly advised to drink only bottled drinks, and when moving around the bars place your thumb over the top of the bottle.
There are stories circulating in the press at the moment about a new 'date rape' drug.
You should be aware that there are some corrupt people who will do anything to achieve their kicks.
The date rape drug in question is found in the form of a cigarette. A woman became flighty after accepting a cigarette from two men in a nightclub.
She woke the next day in a hotel and realised that she had been raped. Police believe the attackers may have used a cigarette dipped in embalming fluid to knock the victim out. Be aware that this can happen.
You should also be careful who you accept drinks from because reported cases of 'spiking' has increased in the last year. This advice is for men as well as women. If you suspect that you have been date raped then you should inform the police immediately.
Date rape classically occurs when a woman finds herself alone with a man. If you go to a man’s room, house or flat or even into his car with him alone, you are vulnerable. Date rapes can often occur when there are other people relatively close by.
I have mainly referred to date rape being something that happens to females, but males, especially gay males are just as vulnerable as females and it does happen to them too.
Many people think rape ‘can’t happen to guys’. It’s amazing how strong and wrong this belief is in society. Men are supposed to be tough, strong and able to protect themselves and from a girl’s point of view, protect us females too!!
Although women are the majority of victims of adult sexual assault, it does happen to guys too. And as with female victims, guys are usually assaulted by other men.
Why men rape?
Men rape because they believe they have he right to control and to punish women who do not obey their rules of behaviour. Rape is an expression of unequal power relations between men and women.
But why do men rape men? And why do some men not ejaculate inside the woman, while others do? Doesn’t this suggest that its not sexual arousal driving him to rape?
I believe that the society has a major part, with the conventional ideas and stereotypes of men and women. Women are inferior of Men; therefore men feel the right to gain any of their power physically or mentally. Why are the murderers or rapists mainly men? Are women such a threat to their egos and the only way to gain power is through their own physical strength?
The relationships between men and women need to be equally balanced and neither gender should feel superior in any other way than the successful and competitiveness of life.
When people think of rape, they might think of a stranger jumping out of a shadowy place and sexually attacking someone. But it's not only strangers who rape. In fact, about half of all people who are raped know the person who attacked them.
Most friendships, acquaintances, and dates never lead to violence, of course. But, sadly, sometimes it happens. When forced sex occurs between two people who already know each other, it is known as date rape or acquaintance rape.
Even if the two people know each other well, and even if they were intimate or had sex before, no one has the right to force a sexual act on another person against his or her will.
Girls and women are most often raped - one in three women will be sexually assaulted in her life. Guys can also be raped, though: 7% to 10% of rape victims are male.
Rape is an act of aggression and violence.
You may hear some people say that those who have been raped were somehow "asking for it" because of the clothes they wore or the way they acted. That's wrong: The person who is raped is not to blame. Rape is always the fault of the rapist. And that's also the case when two people are dating - or even in an intimate relationship. One person never owes the other person sex. If sex is forced against someone's will, that's rape.
You May Have Been Drugged If...
The profile of a rapist
The power –assertive rapist: This is known to be the common rapist if there is such thing as ‘common’. He is usually hypnotised by the value of machismo and physical aggression, and often rapes victims that he meets are in bars, as this is where he can express these characteristics. They rarely target any of their victims.
The power- reassurance rapist: is more known to be called ‘gentleman rapist’ as he is usually intelligent not physically aggressive and is normally unable to develop his own romantic personal relationships. He will select his victim before committing the crime, stalking them and following every action. The victim could also be an acquaintance or work colleague. The rapist often forces the victim to perform foreplay, and take ‘trophies” of the rape, even record the incident by writing in a personal diary.
Anger –retaliatory rapist: These men are unable to control their anger. They don’t pick their victims, and often feel hatred towards women in general. Their attacks are usually spontaneous and brutal, it is known that they do not intend to kill the victim but they may end up beating the victim to death. There is usually more evidence found by this rapist as they are not as intelligent.
Types of Rape
Looking for information about “rape’ I was astonished that there were different types of rape;
Violent rape: Occurs when violence beyond the rape itself is a part of assault. This includes force or threat of harm.
Male Rape: Even though rape and sexual assault is usually against women, men can also be raped. I have researched in the statistics of the US Bureau of Justice on the internet and have found out that in the year of 2003, 9.9% of rape in the USA aged 12 and older, are male. Therefore nearly 17 out of every 100,000 males are victims. The usual gender of rapists is a male. Male victims are commonly victimised by other men. Although women can commit an act of rape by non-consensually forcing a man to engage in a penetrative sexual act, males are more common victims of anal rape. Men are traumatised by rape and sexual assault just as female victims. You’re probably wondering why a man wouldn’t like to have sex with a willing woman. Men do not want to be raped, and nor does the physiogical effect of erection or orgasm mean that the act was enjoyable for the victim.
Gang Rape: Is when a group of people participate in the rape of a single victim. It is far more damaging for the victim. Gang rape involves more than three offenders usually having a leader and one reluctant participant. This is extremely violent. The men find that they are playing for each other’s approval. It gets into a pack mentality and can be horrendous.
And finally Acquaintance rape or known to us as Date Rape: This is also the type of rape that I would like to concentrate on. The term Date rape refers to the consensual sexual activity between people who already are acquainted, or know each other socially, friendly, on people who are on a date. Or even couples who are in romantic relationships. The consent from the woman was not given thus is labelled ‘rape’.
It is the violent act that takes place with no screams and no apparent resistance from the victim, yet it can leave the same scars as any assault- physical, emotional and psychological.
- Some statistics
- 1.872 women are raped every day
- 1 in 3 women are assaulted in their lifetime
- 1 in 5 men re assaulted in their lifetime
- 47% of rapes were on first or casual dates
- 84 % of those that were raped knew their attacker
- 42 percent of the rape victims did not tell anyone about their assaults.
- Only five percent of the rape victims reported the crime to the police
- 82 percent of the victims said that the experience had permanently changed them
The Effects of Rape:
There is no specific way in which an individual reacts. Here are a few Common reactions to sexual assault;
Most victims are traumatised by the experience. They feel dirty and the need for isolation.
Emotional Shock: Initially, many survivors are in a state of shock in which they feel numb to the situation and may question their lack of emotions. Shock is the result of natural defence mechanisms in the brain that seek to protect and overload.
Disbelief: Many victims can not understand what has just happened, or why they were the victims. Again a very natural reaction
Fear: Some victims are threatened by their rapists and this leads to not being able to trust anyone, fearful of everyone. Also the victims are fearful of being pregnant, catching a sexual transmitting disease, or ever being able to be intimate again.
Embarrassment: I was unable to understand why victims would feel embarrassed as they did not do anything, but from my understanding the concept of your body and sex is thought to be private and shameful. The thought of anyone knowing is shameful upon the victim this therefore prevents victims from asking for help or talking about the assault.
Each victim can gain strength and have no fear. The nightmares will fade gradually and their inner selves will heal, not the same but in a better, and safer place. Weather getting a guard dog, hand held alarms or seeking professional help will make you a stronger person to fight these rapists. Then so be it but never go through the traumas alone because you’re not alone and everyone caring and loving around you wants to be and help you