The underlying importance of this finding in the aforementioned study is not only that men and women have different attitudes about date rape, but that these differences in opinion might be due to the way mixed cues are interpreted. In other words, men are more likely to view certain behaviors as suggestive that women, especially when under the influence of alcohol, might not see as so dangerous for them to engage in. Another issue related to this finding is that the false sense of shared responsibility in a date rape exists. In a case of date rape, the responsibility always lies with the attacker as he commits the crime. Whether or not a woman was being suggestive, if she says “no” then that is where it should end. However, alcohol impairs the ability to heed a negative reaction and thus date rape is not viewed at all as serious as stranger rape where there is no interaction.

The above study and subsequent points made about how date rape is perceived leads to one of the most perplexing issues surrounding any discussion of acquaintance or date rape; how can one address the issue without seeming as though there is any blame being placed on the victim when the topic turns to the influence of alcohol in these cases? For instance, based on the study mentioned above, it is fair to assume that, if given the hypothetical situation of a date rape in which the woman (sober and not under the influence of any substances) simply entered a car to go on a first date and was sexually assaulted immediately and without a chance to “be suggestive” in any way, men and women would likely agree that a serious crime has occurred that should certainly be reported and definitely be punished. However, if this same situation is present except both parties have been drinking, it appears that most people might question the behavior and decision-making capabilities of both parties and give far more thought to what the woman’s behavior was like after this drinking. This would lead to suspicion and the dangerously flawed idea that she might have suggested (either through speech of behavior) something sexual and thus brought upon the attack. For some reason, among the many myths concerning acquaintance or date rape, there is a lingering notion that a woman’s behavior can almost “justify” a crime—clearly this idea forgets the main point that the attacker is committing a violent act, no matter what. The problem is, with the involvement of alcohol, it is almost impossible not to consider these aspects of what might transpire before an actual attack, especially if both parties have been drinking. Worse yet, many women who have the idea that their behavior created an attack are less likely to report the crime and are likely to experience self-blame and guilt, forgetting entirely that despite anything that might have appeared suggestive should never have resulted in a sexual attack.

There seems to be a crisis of finding guilt in date rape situations in general but when alcohol is a factor, the lines between how “wrong” the crime was and how it should be dealt with are even fuzzier. The definitions and situations surrounding acquaintance rape are tricky, especially for those who have the ability to determine guilt in date rape cases. According to one study based on large sample of previous jurors who witnessed the details of date rape cases, it was determined that in jurors’ minds, “If the perpetrator is known to the victim, people are reluctant to label what transpired as rape. In a study of jurors’ attitudes, prior association between the victim and the defendant which would make identification more credible had the opposite result of disposing the jurors more favorably toward the defendant” (Ward 1991). Given these pre-existing discrepancies in the very definition of acquaintance rape when one factors in the presence of alcohol the definition of this crime becomes even more complex.  In fact, many juries in the past have had great difficulty convicting attackers due to the nature of the prior relationship. Unfortunately, it often takes visible proof to fully convince a jury that a date rape has occurred. According to one study, “20% of college rape victims have additional injuries, most often bruises, black eyes, cuts, swelling, or chipped teeth. Thus, stressing for the modification of investigative practices to obtain more subtle evidence of lack of consent, rather than just use of force” (Sharma 2007) is necessary. While it is rather frightening to think that it takes noticeable signs of struggle to prove a valid case of acquaintance or date rape, with greater understanding of the crime among college students and the general public justice can be better served.

In broader terms, the issue of acquaintance or date rape is not just a problem that faces college students.  While they may be the most affected age group and might be more prone to engage in risk factors such as alcohol use, this is a crime that affects many more people and groups and more importantly it raises several perplexing questions about how violence and sexuality are addressed. The fact that it often takes visible signs of a struggle for a jury to convict a perpetrator of date rape and that so many victims do not report this crime due to their lack of certainty about what really constitutes rape and to what degree they are responsible suggests that there are much deeper and underlying questions and problems that require solutions.  In terms of human sexuality in general, there needs to be a consensus among men and women, old and young, at any type of force to sexual activity, no matter what the situation is, constitutes rape whether or not the attacker knows the victim or vice versa, force equals crime.  That there should even be questions about the context in which the crime occurs also suggests a problem with the way we view sex in general.  In addition to this, is a disturbing difference in the way men versus women view date rape situations.  Clearly there is a lack of common feelings and understanding of the issue and us there are several steps that that need to be taken to advance a more widespread knowledge of what has been explored in this paper.

In order to reduce the number of acquaintance or date rape situations on college campuses, a large-scale effort to raise awareness not only about the crime itself, but the influence of alcohol in leading to the crime needs to be implemented immediately.  Clearly there is a connection between drinking and instances of acquaintance or date rape but perhaps this connection is not recognized as widely as it should be. Furthermore, issues related to the reporting of this crime should be addressed throughout this awareness raising effort and women should be informed that a crime is a crime and they should not suffer from feelings of guilt that it was their fault. Institutions such as fraternities and sororities should be the first targets of this information campaign and the student bodies on all campus is should be made aware of the gravity of the crime and how alcohol influences risk factors significantly. In addition to this more general information about acquaintance or date rape, a more specific information campaign regarding the issue of reporting sexual crimes should be targeted at women students.  Among the important elements addressed in such a campaign, is the vital fact that despite any presence of mixed cues, with or without the influence of alcohol, an instance of acquaintance rape is by no means their fault.

With this in mind any unwanted sexual advances or activity should be reported to police immediately.  With proper reporting of acquaintance or date rape cases, the “self-fulfilling prophecy” that date rapes do not occur will not be perpetuated and attackers will be judged and punished accordingly rather than allowed to go free simply because of a victim’s guilt. In short, alcohol is never to blame for a crime for either the attacker or the victim but remains an important factor in acquaintance or date rape situations and shall continue to until a paradigm shift regarding this matter on college campuses occurs.

Works Cited

Loiselle, M. (2007). Alcohol’s Effects on Women’s Risk Detection in a Date-Rape Vignette. Journal of American College Health, 55(5), 261-266.

McDonald, T. W. (2004). Perceptions of appropriate punishment for committing a grave: male college students recommend lenient punishments. College Student Journal,38(1), 44-56.

Sharma, B. R. (2007). Acquaintance Rape among Adolescents and the Youth: A Fast Emerging Public Health Problem. Trends in Medical Research, 2(1), 21-26.

Ward, S. K. (1991). Acquaintance Rape and the College Social Scene. Family Relations, 40(1), 65-71.