Avoiding Rape and/or Sexual Assault

RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
By: Thomas “Birdy” McKee
Copyright 2010, by: BirdyMcKee

How can I lower my risk of sexual assault?
There are things you can do to reduce your chances of being sexually assaulted. Follow these tips from the National Crime Prevention Council.
Be aware of your surroundings — who’s out there and what’s going on.
Walk with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you appear.
Know your limits when it comes to using alcohol.
Be assertive — don’t let anyone violate your space.
Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave.
Don’t prop open self-locking doors.
Lock your door and your windows, even if you leave for just a few minutes.
Watch your keys. Don’t lend them. Don’t leave them. Don’t lose them. And don’t put your name and address on the key ring.
Watch out for unwanted visitors. Know who’s on the other side of the door before you open it.
Be wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after business hours, and apartment laundry rooms.
Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Vary your route. Stay in well-traveled, well-lit areas.
Have your key ready to use before you reach the door — home, car, or work.
Park in well-lit areas and lock the car, even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes.
Drive on well-traveled streets, with doors and windows locked.
Never hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker.
Keep your car in good shape with plenty of gas in the tank.
In case of car trouble, call for help on your cellular phone. If you don’t have a phone, put the hood up, lock the doors, and put a banner in the rear mirror that says, “Help. Call police.”
How can I help someone who has been sexually assaulted?
You can help someone who is abused or who has been assaulted by listening and offering comfort. Go with her or him to the police, the hospital, or to counseling. Reinforce the message that s/he is not at fault and that it is natural to feel angry and ashamed.

For More Information
For more information on sexual assault, contact the National Women’s Health Information Center at 800-994-9662 or the following organizations:
Division of Violence Prevention, NCIPC, CDC, HHS
Phone: (770) 488-4362
Internet Address: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/index.html
Office on Violence Against Women, OJP, DOJ
Phone: (800) 799-7233
Internet Address: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Phone: (800) 692-7445
Internet Address: http://www.nsvrc.org
National Center for Victims of Crime
Phone: (800) 394-2255
Internet Address: http://www.ncvc.org
National Crime Prevention Council
Phone: (202) 466-6272
Internet Address: http://www.ncpc.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Phone: (800) 799-SAFE
Internet Address: http://www.ndvh.org
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Phone: (877) 739-3895
Internet Address: http://www.nsvrc.org
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
Phone: (202) 544-1034

What are date rape drugs?
These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. It can include touching that is not okay; putting something into the vagina; sexual intercourse; rape; and attempted rape. These drugs are powerful and dangerous. They can be slipped into your drink when you are not looking. The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste, so you can't tell if you are being drugged. The drugs can make you become weak and confused — or even pass out — so that you are unable to refuse sex or defend yourself. If you are drugged, you might not remember what happened while you were drugged. Date rape drugs are used on both females and males.
The three most common date rape drugs are:
Rohypnol (roh-HIP-nol). Rohypnol is the trade name for flunitrazepam (FLOO-neye-TRAZ-uh-pam). Abuse of two similar drugs appears to have replaced Rohypnol abuse in some parts of the United States. These are: clonazepam (marketed as Klonopin in the U.S.and Rivotril in Mexico) and alprazolam (marketed as Xanax). Rohypnol is also known as:
Circles
Forget Pill
LA Rochas
Lunch Money
Mexican Valium
Mind Erasers
Poor Man's Quaalude
R-2
Rib
Roach
Roach-2
Roches
Roofies
Roopies
Rope
Rophies
Ruffies
Trip-and-Fall
Whiteys
GHB, which is short for gamma hydroxybutyric (GAM-muh heye-DROX-ee-BYOO-tur-ihk) acid. GHB is also known as:
Bedtime Scoop
Cherry Meth
Easy Lay
Energy Drink
G
Gamma 10
Georgia Home Boy
G-Juice
Gook
Goop
Great Chickens
Great Hormones
Great Loving
Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH)
Liquid E
Liquid Ecstasy
Liquid X
PM
Salt Water
Soap
Somatomax
Vita-G

Ketamine (KEET-uh-meen), also known as:
Black Hole
Bump
Cat Valium
Green
Jet
K
K-Hole
Kit Kat
Psychedelic Heroin
Purple
Special K
Super Acid

These drugs also are known as "club drugs" because they tend to be used at dance clubs, concerts, and "raves." The term "date rape" is widely used. But most experts prefer the term "drug-facilitated sexual assault." These drugs also are used to help people commit other crimes, like robbery and physical assault. They are used on both men and women. The term "date rape" also can be misleading because the person who commits the crime might not be dating the victim. Rather, it could be an acquaintance or stranger.

What do the drugs look like?
Rohypnol comes as a pill that dissolves in liquids. Some are small, round, and white. Newer pills are oval and green-gray in color. When slipped into a drink, a dye in these new pills makes clear liquids turn bright blue and dark drinks turn cloudy. But this color change might be hard to see in a dark drink, like cola or dark beer, or in a dark room. Also, the pills with no dye are still available. The pills may be ground up into a powder.
GHB has a few forms: a liquid with no odor or color, white powder, and pill. It might give your drink a slightly salty taste. Mixing it with a sweet drink, such as fruit juice, can mask the salty taste.
Ketamine comes as a liquid and a white powder.

What effects do these drugs have on the body?
These drugs are very powerful. They can affect you very quickly and without your knowing. The length of time that the effects last varies. It depends on how much of the drug is taken and if the drug is mixed with other drugs or alcohol. Alcohol makes the drugs even stronger and can cause serious health problems — even death.

Rohypnol
The effects of Rohypnol can be felt within 30 minutes of being drugged and can last for several hours. If you are drugged, you might look and act like someone who is drunk. You might have trouble standing. Your speech might be slurred. Or you might pass out. Rohypnol can cause these problems:
Muscle relaxation or loss of muscle control
Difficulty with motor movements
Drunk feeling
Problems talking
Nausea
Can't remember what happened while drugged
Loss of consciousness (black out)
Confusion
Problems seeing
Dizziness
Sleepiness
Lower blood pressure
Stomach problems
Death

GHB
GHB takes effect in about 15 minutes and can last 3 or 4 hours. It is very potent: A very small amount can have a big effect. So it's easy to overdose on GHB. Most GHB is made by people in home or street "labs." So, you don't know what's in it or how it will affect you. GHB can cause these problems:
Relaxation
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Nausea
Problems seeing
Loss of consciousness (black out)
Seizures
Can't remember what happened while drugged
Problems breathing
Tremors
Sweating
Vomiting
Slow heart rate
Dream-like feeling
Coma
Death

Ketamine
Ketamine is very fast-acting. You might be aware of what is happening to you, but unable to move. It also causes memory problems. Later, you might not be able to remember what happened while you were drugged. Ketamine can cause these problems:
Distorted perceptions of sight and sound
Lost sense of time and identity
Out of body experiences
Dream-like feeling
Feeling out of control
Impaired motor function
Problems breathing
Convulsions
Vomiting
Memory problems
Numbness
Loss of coordination
Aggressive or violent behavior
Depression
High blood pressure
Slurred speech


Are these drugs legal in the United States?
Some of these drugs are legal when lawfully used for medical purposes. But that doesn't mean they are safe. These drugs are powerful and can hurt you. They should only be used under a doctor's care and order.
Rohypnol is NOT legal in the United States. It is legal in Europe and Mexico, where it is prescribed for sleep problems and to assist anesthesia before surgery. It is brought into the United States illegally.
Ketamine is legal in the United States for use as an anesthetic for humans and animals. It is mostly used on animals. Veterinary clinics are robbed for their ketamine supplies.
GHB was recently made legal in the United States to treat problems from narcolepsy (a sleep disorder). Distribution of GHB for this purpose is restricted, and more tightly controlled.

Is alcohol a date rape drug? What about other drugs?
Any drug that can affect judgment and behavior can put a person at risk for unwanted or risky sexual activity. Alcohol is one such drug. In fact, alcohol is the drug most commonly used to help commit sexual assault. When a person drinks too much alcohol:
It's harder to think clearly.
It's harder to set limits and make good choices.
It's harder to tell when a situation could be dangerous.
It's harder to say "no" to sexual advances.
It's harder to fight back if a sexual assault occurs.
It's possible to blackout and to have memory loss.

The club drug "ecstasy" (MDMA) has been used to commit sexual assault. It can be slipped into someone's drink without the person's knowledge. Also, a person who willingly takes ecstasy is at greater risk of sexual assault. Ecstasy can make a person feel "lovey-dovey" towards others. It also can lower a person's ability to give reasoned consent. Once under the drug's influence, a person is less able to sense danger or to resist a sexual assault. Even if a victim of sexual assault drank alcohol or willingly took drugs, the victim is NOT at fault for being assaulted. You cannot "ask for it" or cause it to happen.

How can I protect myself from being a victim?
Don't accept drinks from other people.
Open containers yourself.
Keep your drink with you at all times, even when you go to the bathroom.
Don't share drinks.
Don't drink from punch bowls or other common, open containers. They may already have drugs in them.
If someone offers to get you a drink from a bar or at a party, go with the person to order your drink. Watch the drink being poured and carry it yourself.
Don't drink anything that tastes or smells strange. Sometimes, GHB tastes salty.
Have a non-drinking friend with you to make sure nothing happens.
If you realize you left your drink unattended, pour it out.
If you feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol — or, if you feel like the effects of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual — get help right away.

Are there ways to tell if I might have been drugged and raped?
It is often hard to tell. Most victims don't remember being drugged or assaulted. The victim might not be aware of the attack until 8 or 12 hours after it occurred. These drugs also leave the body very quickly. Once a victim gets help, there might be no proof that drugs were involved in the attack. But there are some signs that you might have been drugged:
You feel drunk and haven't drunk any alcohol — or, you feel like the effects of drinking alcohol are stronger than usual.
You wake up feeling very hung over and disoriented or having no memory of a period of time.
You remember having a drink, but cannot recall anything after that.
You find that your clothes are torn or not on right.
You feel like you had sex, but you cannot remember it.

What should I do if I think I’ve been drugged and raped?
Get medical care right away. Call 911 or have a trusted friend take you to a hospital emergency room. Don't urinate, douche, bathe, brush your teeth, wash your hands, change clothes, or eat or drink before you go. These things may give evidence of the rape. The hospital will use a "rape kit" to collect evidence.

Call the police from the hospital. Tell the police exactly what you remember. Be honest about all your activities. Remember, nothing you did — including drinking alcohol or doing drugs — can justify rape.
Ask the hospital to take a urine (pee) sample that can be used to test for date rape drugs. The drugs leave your system quickly. Rohypnol stays in the body for several hours, and can be detected in the urine up to 72 hours after taking it. GHB leaves the body in 12 hours. Don't urinate before going to the hospital.

Don't pick up or clean up where you think the assault might have occurred. There could be evidence left behind — such as on a drinking glass or bed sheets.

Get counseling and treatment. Feelings of shame, guilt, fear, and shock are normal. A counselor can help you work through these emotions and begin the healing process. Calling a crisis center or a hotline is a good place to start. One national hotline is the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE .



For more information
For more information on date rape drugs, please call womenshealth.gov at:
1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
Drug Enforcement Administration, DOJ Phone: (202) 307-1000
Internet Address: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea
Food and Drug Administration, OPHS, HHS
Phone: (800) 332-4010 Hotline or (888) 463-6332 (Consumer Information)
Internet Address: http://www.fda.gov
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, HHS
Phone: (800) 662-4357 Hotline or (800) 662-9832 Spanish Language Hotline
Internet Address: http://www.drugabuse.gov
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Phone: (800) 666-3332 (Information Clearinghouse)
Internet Address: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/index.html
Men Can Stop Rape Phone: (202) 265-6530
Internet Address: http://www.mencanstoprape.org
National Center for Victims of Crime Phone: (800) 394-2255
Internet Address: http://www.ncvc.org
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network Phone: (800) 656-4673 (656-HOPE)
Internet Address: http://www.rainn.org