Date Rape

Many cases of rape go unreported each year. Date rape more than likely is included in those unreported cases. Girls feel embarrassed and even ashamed when they are taken advantage of by an aggressive boy. Date rape doesn’t just happen with college students and can occur in high school also. The rapist for some reason either doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no, or he enjoys forcing himself on his victim. For some rapists it is a control issue rather than a sexually motivated event. They get a rush out of having control over someone else.

No matter what the motivation for the rapist, it is important that the crime is reported to the legal authorities. A girl may have to look at the big picture to find the courage to report the crime. If she realizes that he will continue to rape others, she may find the courage to report him to prevent it from happening to another girl. Date rape is not the only form of abuse being inflicted on young women today there are other forms of violence.

Teen Dating Violence

When a teen is dating someone and they turn to violence, it would seem logical that the teen would immediately leave the relationship. Like many cases of abuse or violent love, some girls struggle with the ability to leave their abuser. The violence in most cases does not go away. The violence typically increases and in many cases can lead to serious harm or even death. A logical person would be able to see a pattern, but a person blinded by what they believe to be love, may not be that logical. It is hard to believe that someone being abused remains in the abusive situation. It is even more difficult to believe that person that has been violent with another person, will stop abusive behavior as time goes on. Some people even marry a violent person with the hopes that the violence will stop after they are married.

Help for Abuse

There is help for both the abuser and the abused. Both will require therapy or counseling. The person being abused will usually need to work on self esteem issues. The abuser’s problems may go back to him or her being abused. In any case, professional help may be the only way to stop the cycle of abuse. The first step to stopping abuse is to talk to someone. There are hotlines in almost every state for victims of abuse.