Acquaintance rape refers to forced sexual penetration or oral sex that occurs between individuals who know each other (as opposed to stranger rape). As a broad definition, acquaintance rape may include individuals who are married or involved in a domestic partnership (often referred to using the subcategory of “marital rape” or “intimate partner sexual assault”). Traditionally, acquaintance rape has been referred to as date rape; however, this term is a misnomer as the individuals involved in acquaintance rape may or may not be engaged in dating behavior or an intimate relationship. For example, the individuals may be coworkers, friends, casual acquaintances, or former dating partners. This entry focuses on the prevalence of acquaintance rape, the societal attributions of responsibility to the perpetrator or the ...

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