NCJ Number
135948
Date Published
1990
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video shows why acquaintance rape occurs, the myths behind it, and what can be done to prevent it.
Abstract
The video includes interviews with acquaintance rape survivors, police investigators, and assault crisis counselors. Some of the concepts discussed are dramatized. Data on rape in general and acquaintance rape in particular are provided (80 percent of rapists are known to their victims). The definition of rape as sexual relations physically forced against a person's will is discussed. Psychological coercion is also considered. Reasons for rape are outlined as the need to exert power over another, anger expressed in the humiliation of the victim, and sadism. Some myths that are challenged are that the woman invites rape by her behavior and dress, that women can always do something to prevent rape, that only females are raped, that if prostitution were legalized rape would diminish, and that women often falsely allege rape to protect their reputations. Some suggestions for the prevention of acquaintance rape are not to use alcohol or drugs in risky social situations, to communicate sexual limits when this becomes an issue, to provide for alternative transportation options when on dates, and to avoid isolated locations. The video provides guidelines for what the victim should do after a rape.