February 16, 1995
What exactly is date rape? Or is it acquaintance rape? What does it take to consent to sex or to say no? Depending on who is defining the term, the details can differ. The University Police Department follows the California Penal Code's definition of rape: "when a person is incapable of giving legal consent...by means of force, violence, duress, menace...or is prevented by any intoxicating or anesthetic substance...administered by or with the privity of the accused...or is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act..."
The SAFE Place follows a slightly different code taken from "Coping with Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape" and "Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Training Manual," both by Andrea Parrot: "Acquaintance rape is rape by someone the victim knows. Date rape is rape by someone the victim has been or is dating... Often men will date or pick up women who do not appear strong or assertive. They may ply them with alcohol or drug and /or take them to a secluded place where the sexual assault will occur uninterrupted...it is sex that the male premeditated, not rape...The fact that it is against her will and without her consent makes it rape -- whether he uses physical force or not..."
These differing guidelines, with the addition of societal opinions, can be interpreted into a wide variety of ideas and beliefs on the issue of rape. It is important to know what other people are saying and thinking about the issue because, at times, a rape to one person may not be a rape to another.