Get Informed... Dating Safety 
What Is...

Dating is a great way to meet new people and have a good time. However, there comes a time when dating can be abusive and violent.

Abuse isn't just hitting. It's yelling, threatening, name calling, saying "I'll kill myself if you leave me," obsessive phone calling or paging, and extreme possessiveness.

Non-consensual sex is called rape and is a crime. Date rape is a betrayal of trust and causes long-lasting emotional injuries. Date rape or acquaintance rape is about power, control, and anger - not romance.

Did You Know...

  • Dating violence or abuse affects one in four teens.
  • A woman is four times more likely to be raped by someone she knows than by a stranger. (Robin Warshaw, 1988.)
  • Only 17 percent of rapists are strangers
    •
    83% of perpetrators are acquaintances (friends of the family, dates, boyfriends, relatives, authority figures). Diana Russell, 1986.
  • 55% of rapes where the perpetrator is a stranger are reported to the police, while only 19% of acquaintance rapes are reported. Only 2% of acquaintance rapes were reported when the perpetrator was a friend of the family or a date. Diana Russell, 1986.  
  • In a study by Mary P. Koss at Kent State University, one out of every eight women students had been raped. Of those:
10.6% reported being raped by strangers
24.9% reported being raped by acquaintances
30% by steady dates
21% by casual dates
8.9% by family members Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, 1991. 

What You Can Do...
  • Don't put up with it
  • Know your not alone
  • Understand that you have done nothing wrong
  • Know that the longer you stay in the relationship, the more intense the violence becomes
  • Talk with your friends, family, and other people you trust
  • Get help immediately
  • Get medical attention immediately if rape occurs
  • Get counseling

Other Resources

National Crime Prevention Council
Most of the information above was obtained from the National Crime Prevention Council.
Download the "Dater's Bill of Rights" Brochure
Download the "Date Rape: A Power Trip" Brochure
Download the "Teen Dating Violence" Brochure
Download the "Teen Dating Violence - Espanola" Brochure

The above brochures are in PDF format.Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader

Web Links

National Women's Health Information Center - Date Rape
This site discusses the date rape drug "Rohypnol."

Teen's Health - Date Rape: What You Should Know
This site discusses date rape and how to protect yourself and how to get help.

University of Illinois at Urbana - Women's Programs
This site shows you what the 4 different type of date rape drugs look like and gives explanations of what they are and different names that are used.