Date Rape

It is estimated that 13 percent of women and 3 percent of men have been raped in their lifetime, but this is based on reported rapes. Since rape is the most underreported crime, rates are vastly underrepresented by official statistics. However, statistics still show that the majority of rapes are committed by perpetrators known by the victim (e.g., friend, acquaintance, spouse), though these assaults are even less likely to be reported by victims. There is much misconception, myth, ambiguity, and controversy surrounding the issue of rape and more specifically acquaintance rape/date rape. Some do not consider date rape and/or acquaintance rape as a type of sexual victimization or a crime because neither of these conforms to the societal preconception of what constitutes rape. Alternatively, others consider date rape/acquaintance rape a hidden problem of sexual victimization since it is not as acknowledged as stranger rape and arguably causes more trauma as the perpetrator is known by the victim, causing a betrayal of trust that is not present with a stranger rape.

Defining rape is problematic without even considering specialized situations such as date rape. Historically, definitions of rape were limited, defining rape as only penile-vaginal penetration. Any type of sexually related assault that did not meet this definition (e.g., oral copulation, sodomy) was not considered rape. Sexual assault, rather than rape, is often used as a catchall term to refer to several different types of sexual victimization and includes rape, forced sodomy, forced oral copulation, and any forced or unwelcome sexual touching. The term rape does continue to be used, especially with distinct types of sexual assault, such as “date rape,” to refer to any sexual victimization. Despite this, rape definitions vary widely among state legal statutes. The federal government's definition of rape remains: unlawful sexual intercourse with a female that is completed with the use of force or without consent (of the female). As a result, male rape and other types of sexually related assaults are not classified as rape offenses.

Many of the same problems associated with defining rape are also associated with defining date rape. Date rape is a term often used interchangeably with acquaintance rape. However, date rape is a distinct type of sexual victimization. Some would define date rape in the same way as acquaintance rape since it is a sexual assault committed by someone known to the victim (instead of a stranger). Acquaintance rape is typically defined as nonconsensual sex between adults who know each other (this includes anyone who is not a stranger to the victim). Others consider date rape as only one form of acquaintance rape. These definitions of date rape depend on contributing environmental factors of the assault, for example, the assault occurs in a residence or vehicle following a date. However, the same assault, occurring while two individuals are studying together, would be considered acquaintance rape. Using this classification as a type of acquaintance rape, date rape is considered nonconsensual sex between adults who are dating or on a date.