Dating is both exciting and exhilarating.  When someone shows interest in us, we usually want to make a good impression and confirm that we are worthy of their attention.  However, sometimes a date takes advantage of our eagerness to please or misreads our intentions.

The majority of women who are sexually assaulted know their attacker.  Often it is someone they trusted to drive them home from a party or take them out for dinner and a movie.  Even if you have been out on a few dates with someone, you should always take precautions. 

Be Smart, Stay Safe…

Tips for Safe Dating

• Public Places.  Choose public places for dates.  Do not go to someone’s house, apartment, or dorm room for the first couple of dates.
• Double Date.  Go out with a group of friends or with a friend and his/her partner.
• Safety Plan.  Tell a friend or parent who you are going out with, where, and what time you expect to be back.  If your plans change, alert them to changes.
• Money!  Always have enough money to take a cab home.  Program the number of at least two cab companies in your cell phone or carry the numbers in your wallet.
• Avoid Drinking Excessively.  When under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your judgment and reflexes are impaired. 
• Designated Driver.  Never get in a car with someone who has been drinking or using drugs.  Call a friend, parent, or cab.
• Trust Your Instincts.  If your date makes you uncomfortable or if a situation makes you feel uneasy, assert yourself and/or find a way to remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible.
• You Have A Right to Say, “No.”  You always have a right to refuse to do ANYTHING that makes you feel uncomfortable.  You have the right and the responsibility to set limits on physical and sexual intimacy.

On-Line Safety

Safeguard Your Privacy.  Do not provide someone on-line with your real name, address, phone number, or other information which they could use to identify you.  Be careful also about releasing compromising pictures of yourself or divulging confidential information that you would not want the public to know.

Never Meet Someone You Have Met On-Line.  On-line predators target all age groups.  It is always a bad idea to meet someone whom you only know from on-line.  If you decide to meet someone you have met on-line, choose a public place and take a friend with you.  Do not agree to get in this person’s car or leave with them. 

Party Safety

• Just Say “No”.  Avoid parties where alcohol or drug use is likely to be excessive.  According to Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, studies have shown that 75% of date rapists were intoxicated or had taken drugs prior to assaulting a woman.
• Use the Buddy System.  Never attend a party alone and always leave with someone you trust. 
• Don’t Make a Dramatic Exit.  When leaving a party, avoid announcing to everyone present that you are leaving.  Someone might see this as an opportunity to follow you home.
• Stay Sober.  It is hard to make good decisions and to be aware of your surroundings if you have been drinking or using drugs. 
• Don’t Venture Off From the Group:  Avoid separating yourself from the party and your friends.  Don’t agree to “take a walk” or otherwise leave the party with someone you have just met. 
• Establish Phone Buddies.  Make sure you and your friends get home safe by having each person check in with one other person.

Some Tips for Decreasing Your Vulnerability to Date Rape Drugs

• Don’t drink out of an open container.  For example, avoid punch bowls.
• Always get your own drink.  Never accept a pre-mixed drink.  Insist that drinks be poured or mixed in front of you.
• Never leave drinks or food unattended.
• Don’t share cigarettes.  Rapists have begun lacing cigarettes with drugs.
• If your drink tastes odd, throw it out!
• Watch out for your friends.  If their behavior seems odd, keep an eye on them!

Source:  Pittsburgh Action Against Rape

Other Drugs of Choice:  GHB, GBL, Rohypnol & Benzodiazepines 

Here are Some Things that Date Rape Drugs Share in Common…

• Act as a sedative making you sleepy or drowsy and often leads to passing out
• Impair talking, movement and motor skills
• Cause amnesia.  Victims often have no memory of events or being assaulted.
• Alcohol increases these effects.
• Odorless, colorless, tasteless when placed in liquid
• GBL has a bitter taste, but a strong drink can often mask the taste
• Require between 5 to 30 minutes for effects to manifest
• Difficult to detect
• GBL only remains in the urinary system  for6 hrs and in the blood stream for 24 hours
• GHB is only detectable in the system for 10-12 hours
• Rohypnol is untraceable after 36 to 72 hours

Visit the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) site for more information about Date Rape Drugs & the Dangers of Alcohol   MORE