What Can I do if I'm Confronted With a Date Rape Situation?

Some of these strategies will work better in different situations. Assess your situation carefully and choose a strategy based on the ability of the rapist to harm you physically.

• STAY CALM It will be easier to think clearly.
• BE ASSERTIVE. If you don't want to have sex, say NO like you mean it.
• DO NOT ACT FRIENDLY or polite. Do not smile.
• TRY TO GET AWAY – RIGHT AWAY. Try screaming, running away, or fighting. People who fight off a rapist in the first few minutes are more likely to stop the rape.
• USE PASSIVE RESISTANCE. Tell him that you have a sexually transmitted disease, you’re on your period, or you’re pregnant.
• TRUST YOUR FEELINGS about the situation you are in. Ask yourself if it is safe to resist. Sometimes, submission is the only way to avoid serious injury. Never believe that you allowed yourself be raped. Remember that “giving in” to a rapist is not giving your consent. You do not need to sustain injury or death to “prove” that you were raped.