The Essential Guide to Date Rape Prevention

by Lindquist, Scott

• ISBN13: 9781402210228
• ISBN10: 1402210221
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-07-01
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc

Summary

The Date Rape Prevention Book is a proactive source of information essential for girls and women to safeguard themselves. Being armed with information is a woman's best defense. These pages look at when and where date rape happens, what turns an ordinary man into a rapist and the three ingredients in most acquaintance rapes. In non-judgmental terms, the book explores the roles of drugs and alcohol, tells women what to do if they are confronted and provides communication techniques and physical maneuvers that do not require martial arts training to help women escape an escalating situation.

Excerpts

Since 1982, when I began my career as a crime prevention specialist, there has been a media trend focused on the related issues of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. The question remains as to whether these problems have become worse, or whether more women are reporting them. There are many books, articles, and studies on the epidemic of sexual assault in the United States, most of which are statistical and address the issues after the fact--after the assault has taken place, after the violence has been committed. This book is about prevention.<br>The challenge facing this book is how to reach women at all stages of life about the realities of sexual assault without scaring them into denial. The mere mention of the word "rape" causes many people so much discomfort that they want either to ignore the problem or to pretend it doesn't exist. It is for this reason that I have tried to simplify stories and other related crime prevention information from the most reliable and up-to-date sources into a concise guidebook for preventing sexual assault in all its forms, with the emphasis on date/acquaintance rape.<br>This book will explore a number of dangerous situations in which a woman might find herself being sexually assaulted. These situations include date/acquaintance rape, which is the main focus of this book, as well as stranger rape, sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence. These areas will be touched upon, with the emphasis on prevention, and additional resources will be given in the "Resources" section for those who wish a more in-depth discussion. <br>The information in this book is applicable to girls in high school, women embarking on a college/university experience, as well as mature women who are particularly vulnerable if they are re-entering the dating process after being in a long-term relationship. (It is beyond the scope of this book to address rape within a marriage or rape in which the victim is male, however, the "Suggested Reading" section contains titles of reading material in those areas.)<br>This book in many ways is actually about choices. The choices a woman makes at the beginning of a date and subsequent relationship give her the options she will have as the situation progresses and the relationship matures. The more options she has, the more power she has and the better her chances of getting out of a dangerous situation without being hurt.<br>Sometimes, even with her best efforts, a woman is unable to stop her attacker. For this reason, this book includes information on the best way to proceed after it is too late for prevention. A woman who knows what to do next and what to expect from the process has a better chance of finding the help she needs to recover fully and in a shorter time. <br>This book is also about the choices a man makes in his relationships. Many men would never consider their own actions as rape, and yet they may press on even after a woman asks them to stop. Traditional attitudes hold a double standard that has some men seeing certain behaviors in women (such as how they dress, or their willingness to drink or take drugs), as a sign the woman is "asking for" sex. Men also may believe or assert that, once aroused, they are no longer in control of their sexual behavior. This is patently false. This book includes an "Advice for Men" <br>chapter exploring these issues further.<br>I hope this book will not just educate, but also will motivate all women, whatever their ages, to be more aware, awake, alert, and committed with all of their might to not becoming another victim. <br>This book will give you information about rape prevention, sexual harassment, stalking, and dating violence, but information without action will not make a difference in a woman's or man's life. I sincerely hope you will choose to take action before your choices are limited or taken away. There is no time to waste. <br>This book is not likely to change anybody's attitude overnight about the opposite sex or his or her own gender. This only can be done through consistent education, but with the knowledge that this book has to offer, a young girl or woman might be able to recognize a dangerous man and/or situation before things get beyond her control. <br>This book also may be useful to men and boys and their fathers, who, consciously or unconsciously, have helped create an environment of rape and violence. In the final analysis, it is they who must stop the violence against women.<br>If even one rape is prevented as a result of this book, it will have served its purpose. However, it is my dream for the women of this nation that rape will disappear as an issue for them, and that men will understand that successful relationships are win/win, and that sex without consent is never an option.