How to Teach Men About Date Rape

According to a study done by the United States Department of Justice, more than 70 percent of reported rape cases were classified as date rape. This means that 7 of 10 victims are raped by someone they know. The prevention of these types of rapes begins with education.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Teach men to respect women. Men that have a healthy respect for women are far less likely to rape than a man who doesn't respect women.

2. Clarify the basic concept of rape. When someone has sex with another person through force, coercion or through the use of "date rape" drugs such as GHB or Rohpynol, it is considered rape. Teach the men you are educating to understand that when a woman says "no" he must stop his sexual advances. If he continues after being told no, it is considered rape.

3. Explain the effects of rape. Make men understand that when a woman is raped, she is traumatized for life. Her pain does not end when the act ends. It may continue in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or sexual dysfunction or mental illness, such as depression, for an indefinite period of time.

4. Make it clear that nobody deserves to be raped. The way a woman acts or dresses does not mean that "she was asking for it" or "she had it coming." These are some of the most common excuses used by convicted rapists. Men must understand that this way of thinking is completely wrong.

Tips & Warnings

• Lessons about date rape are more likely to stick if they are repeated.
• Talk about rape and date rape early. Start with issues such as respecting women and others and escalate the issues as the boy grows older. If you start talking to boys, the lessons will stick with them as they grow into men.
• Never give any reason to indicate that any form of forced sexual activity is acceptable. In that same U.S. Department of Justice study, more than 80 percent of males surveyed stated that there were certain circumstances in which rape was "OK" or "justified."

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