Date rape: 'You can't be too careful'
Back in 2003, we were horrified when a young girl in Goa was drugged and gang-raped by her friends after she smoked a 'cigarette' they offered her.
In 2007, headlines carried the tragic tale of a British tourist who was drugged and sexually assaulted by a friend in her hotel room in Delhi.
And last week, we recoiled in horror when the media carried a story of how a 23-year-old American girl, a student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, TISS, in Trombay, was drugged and raped by six male friends.
The common factor in all three stories? The shocking fact that all the above victims were betrayed and violated by those they knew and trusted -- their friends.
Much as we may like to believe that date rape is a curse of the Western world, we have to open our eyes to the fact that the crime is much closer to home than we realise. Instances of date rape are steadily rising in India -- so much so that most of us know someone who has got into a pickle with people she knew and trusted.
The free availability of sedatives and party drugs over the counter have led to an enormous amount of misuse and numerous girls wake up the morning after with no recollection of how they spent the night.
These drugs are colourless, odourless and tasteless, so spiking someone's drink with them is extremely easy. They are available at pharmacies even without a doctor's prescription. The victim of a date rape drug might experience disorientation, memory loss and time-space confusion, which makes it very easy to rape her.
Being drugged is not the only thing you need to be careful of. Date rape can take place even when you're completely in your senses, in broad daylight.
If you don't know them very well, beware of men who suggest taking you home when nobody is around, dates in isolated places, long drives alone etc.
Visiting an isolated place, where no help is readily available puts you in a vunerable position that a potentail rapist could take advantage of.
Unfortunately, the rising occurrence of date rapes has its backlash on a woman's liberty itself. She can't let her guard down, even when hanging out with friends, feels the need to protect herself at all times and might curb her own freedom in the interest of her safety. Hostels are tightening security and making more strict their guidelines for students, parents are regulating their daughters' whereabouts more vigilantly, and women themselves are frightened enough to be wary at all times, even when surrounded by friends.
To help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of someone you know, here's a checklist of dos and don'ts to adher to the next time you're out to have a good time with friends:
DoS:
- Meet male friends you don't know very well in public places, where help is readily available.
- Make sure your friends and family know where you're going and with whom.
- Keep your guard up, especially with people you don't know too well.
- Try to have a trusted friend go out with you.
- Make sure you know how you're getting home.
- Go out in a group as much as possible -- there's safety in numbers.
- Watch your drink at all times when you go partying.
- Have the waiter open bottles of alcohol at the table.
- Control how much you drink.
- Stick to one drink if you're with people you don't know very well.
- Drink lots of water and eat while you drink to make sure you don't get drunk.
Don'tS:
- Go on dates to isolated places, long drives or put yourself in situations that make you vulnerable, where getting help would be difficult.
- Ignore warning signs, like men who don't take no for an answer, or men who seem eager to get you drunk.
- Go alone to house parties.
- Attract unnecessary attention.
- Let someone you don't know very well drive you home.
- Ask someone else to get you a drink.
- Leave your drink unattended.
- Drink too much, or use substances that could intoxicate you.
- Think it can't happen to you!
Source: Rediff
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Date rape: 'You can't be too careful' 
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