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How Acquaintance Rape Affects Victims Differently than Stranger Rape

JaNyah Martin
Mrs. Castle
English IV Honors
21 November 2016

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Outline: Thesis
Acquaintance Rape and Stranger Rape

Thesis Statement: Victims are more affected by acquaintance rape than stranger rape mentally,
emotionally, and physically.

I.

Affected Mentally
A. Victim becomes in denial
1. Victims are made to feel as though they were too embarrassed of who they had
nonconsensual sex with.
2. the incident isnt accepted
B. Victim Blaming
1. Can expect indifference
2. disbelief
3. punishment because it was the victims fault

II.

Affected Emotionally
A. Victims are more likely to come into contact with their rapist if acquaintance rape
occurred.
1. incident is harder to forget
2. emotional scars get harder to heal from

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B. Victims let their guard down

1. victims felt comfortable with their attacker
2. feel as though its their fault
3. makes it harder to trust again
III.

Affected Physically
A. attacker may have been a significant other
1. victim may end up pregnant
2. victim may suffer from forced drug abuse
3. may end up with unwanted sexually transmitted diseases

B. Victims can suffer from PTS

1. extreme anxiety
2. nightmares
3. flashbacks
4. sleeplessness
5. avoiding society

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JaNyah C. Martin
Mrs. Castle
English IV Honors
21 November 2016

Acquaintance Rape v. Stranger Rape

Leslie has been in a mutual friendship for a little over a year. Leslie has come to know
just about everything about this guy she met at school; she has always been there for him when
he needed her listening ears, without any second guessing. At times, it even seems as though he
was interested in her, but she just brushed it off thinking he was just getting comfortable with
their friendship. One day, he stopped by her house in hopes of venting about the chaos that has
been on his mind. Innocently, she agreed, with the intentions of being a good friend to someone
that she felt would do the same for her. He arrives at her house to not heal himself but to destroy
her as a person, to take away your innocence. Moments later, she is deprived of her dignity,
confidence, and value. The person Leslie once thought she knew now holds the title of my
attacker. At that moment, Leslie became his stress reliever in the worst way possible. This
person she was there for changed right in front of her very eyes, changed her whole outlook on
life in every way possible. The person she once was will be hard to come back to considering

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that she feels like this is all her fault, as a result of her letting her guard down and making
herself vulnerable. The person Leslie thought she knew turned out to be her own personal
assigned demon. Not only will she have this guilt lingering over her head, but she will have to
worry about what health issues she may now face and if anyone will ever accept her even while
knowing what she went through. Her friend has no conscience and will return back to his
normal daily procedures. He walks around as if he committed no crime. Many victims develop
this mindset when they may have known their attacker. They may feel as though it is their fault
and no one will believe them because of who their attacker is and how he may present himself
around others. Dealing with a stranger rape is different because no one may know the attacker
and an presuming image does not cover the attacker. Acquaintance rape is more problematic
because consent is unlikely, and it is hard to find someone guilty with no witnesses available to
confirm the incident (Van Den Hagg). Acquaintance rape occurs more than stranger rape. one
thousand and six cases were reported by the FBI. Over forty percent of those cases were
acquaintance cases ( Nifong). Laws have become more responsive. Victims have a hard time in
court because physical evidence may not be present despite what might have actually taken
place. The trials solely centered around whether the victim consented or not. Therefore, victims
are more affected by acquaintance rape than stranger rape mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Upon coming out about their horrifying tragedy, most survivors are scared that they will
not get taken seriously or that they simply will not have anyone in their corner that believes
them. Due to the fact that survivors may think that they will be looked down upon about their
experience, many will become in denial about being sexually assaulted. Most of the time, if the
victim comes out about their attack and who the attacker was, outsiders make the victim feel as

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though they were too embarrassed of who they had consensual sex with all the while the sex was
nonconsensual. The term date-rape was used to describe non-consensual sexual contact
between two or more people on a date (Menna). Unfortunately, over eighty percent of sexual
assault victims know their assailant and may or may not be on a date (Menna). A local
therapist, Jeff Simms, stated that most cases it is very rare for the victim to not know their
attacker. When a survivor comes out about their experience, they are rarely accepted and taken
lightly (Raphael). A victim can also be blamed for the incident. This is known as victim
blaming. When a victim has been blamed, they can expect indifference, disbelief, and even
punishment (Raphael). Victims can also still be blamed for leading their attacker on or even be
dismissed because of their sexual history: being a prostitute or promiscuous woman (Van Den
Hagg). In fact, many rapists are described as a perfect gentleman or even a friend. Feeling as if
they are the reason behind the attack, victims can develop psychological consequences. In cases
where sexual assault occurred during their childhood the following can be associated:
posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, alcohol problems and eating disorders
(Yuan). As stated before, because these situations are not taken seriously, the psychological
problems that the victims may face are taken lightly as well. The most common effect that
survivors face is post traumatic stress disorder, even if they do not recognize it. Post traumatic
stress disorder or PTSD is a disorder that develops when one has experienced a shocking, scary,
or dangerous event (The National Institute of Mental Health). For many, depression goes
untreated or undertreated for years. Because depression is somewhat a common condition,
survivors may not make the correlation between the assault and their feelings afterwards. This
depression can manifest for years until the survivor is adequately treated for both the depression

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and the rape. Survivors are 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD can be recognized with three different categories of symptoms. It starts with intrusive
symptoms. Intrusive symptoms literally "intrude" a survivor's life. Survivors are often reminded
of the rape when they don't intend to think about it. Some say the memories come "out of the
blue." Intrusive Symptoms may take the form of flashbacks, dreams, smells, or other bodily
sensations (Menna). Not knowing how to feel after sexual assault can make a survivor stray
away from reality. In order to block out what they may feel or remember from the sexual assault
that they may have experienced, they may put up a guard and defend themselves in every way
possible because they do not know who to trust. One may also feel as though everyone is out to
get them, even though that is not the case. This is also why they may not seek help. Being
sexually assaulted by an acquaintance can make it hard for the victim to even come out about the
situation to others known by the attacker and the survivor. Knowing both parties can easily make
outsiders label the survivor as a liar because of how they predator portrays himself to other
people. As stated before, with the assaulter making themselves seem like the good guy, the
survivor may be accused of wanting attention or trying to put a bad light on the other person
because they simply do not seem like a horrible person to outsiders.
Victims are more likely to come into contact with their rapist if acquaintance rape
occurred. Continuous contact with the attacker can make the incident harder to forget. With the
incident being hard to forget, the emotional scars can be much more difficult to heal from
(Student Research Center). Eighty five percent of acquaintance rape victims do not report the
incident. One hundred twenty males admitted to rape or even attempted rape ( Kalfin). Eighteen
out of the one hundred and six males taking the undergraduate English courses at the University

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of Hawaii, admitted to committing acts that met the legal definition of sexual assault against
women that they knew. One third of the males from the University of Hawaii admitted that they
continued to make sexual advances after women said no (Mills). Victims can be emotionally
conflicted because they knew their attacker but not well enough to think their attacker would do
such a thing. Victims can be emotionally torn when it comes to letting their guard down and
getting comfortable with people. This can make it hard for a victim to trust again. The victim
may think it is their fault by trusting their assaulter. If stranger rape has occurred, trusting others
may not be an issue because the attacker was unknown. After such horrific event, a survivor may
also feel as though she is tainted or bad (Menna).
In many cases, the attacker; although close to the victim, does not use contraceptives,
which may result in leaving the victim pregnant. Carrying the attackers offspring may result in
the victim raising the child with resentment. This may cause neglect to the child which can affect
the child through mental unstableness. In this case, the rape does not only affect the victim, but
their offspring as well. Along with contraceptives not being used during the incident, the victim
may contract unwanted sexually transmitted diseases that was not a part of the victims prior
knowledge. Also, during the attack and after, the victim might have suffered from forced drug
abuse. These drugs are called date-rape drugs. Date-rape drugs can be slipped into drinks
when a victim is not looking. Attackers use date-rape drugs to make a person unable to resist
assault (Sexual Assault, pg 582). These drugs can cause memory loss so that the victim does not
know what happened. Victims may also suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They are
likely to expect: extreme anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, and sleeplessness. Date rape drugs
such as Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine are most common, specifically around college students

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(Menna). These three drugs are all known to erase any memory the survivor may have from that
night. When the drugs are given, they act or respond quickly and makes an individual either
totally unconscious or even immobile without any memory (Menna). Rohypnol can also be
known as Circles, Forget Pills, and Mind Erasers. GHB or gamma hydroxybutyric is also
known as Bedtime Scoop, Cherry Meth, and or Easy Lay. Ketamine is also known as Black
Hole, Kit Kat, and Psychedelic Heroin (Date Rape Drug). Date rape drugs are more likely to be
used in a party setting so they can be slipped into an individuals drink while they are not
looking. The drug is undetectable to the individual drinking it because there is no taste and it has
no color. It is easier to take advantage of a person while they are intoxicated because the person
is completely oblivious to what is going on. After the incident it is also hard for the survivor to
determine whether or not consent is given because they have blacked out. Given the fact that
they were intoxicated, it makes the survivor seem as if the intercourse was consensual in a court
case. After a sexual assault, a survivor may also experience gynaecological problems. Not only
may there be sexually transmitted diseases present, but one may experience irregular or heavier
and painful periods, abnormal heavy bleeding, vaginal discharge, bladder infections, and tears or
cuts in the vagina or rectum (Rape Crisis). Due to the force of the perpetrator, survivors may
also have injuries such as bruises or cuts, lower back pains, and pain in the stomach (Rape
Crisis). Even if a survivor does not see any physical damages, it is strongly encouraged to get
medical attention just to confirm that they do not have any sexuallly transmittied diseases or any
other health issue that may not be seen on the outer appearance.
Although eighteen percent of secual assault victims were assaulted by a stranger
(UCLA Medical Center)\, some may argue that stranger rape is still more detrimental to the

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victim than acquaintance rape. One of the arguments states that a victim is affected more because
in some instances, the victim is caught off-guard during the attack. This attack may include,
both; mental and physical damage, by the attacker using force to subdue the victim, and after the
incident, for the victim to gain mental diseases and also develop PTSD. Even though it is easier
to catch the attacker, a victim might still be damaged from the incident. Many victims that have
been through stranger rape are not blamed for the incident. Most times they are kidnapped or
beaten while unconscious so that the attacker can stay anonymous and the victim will not be able
to describe them. Victims of stranger rape become more aware of their surroundings or may just
stay secluded to prevent that from happening again. Stranger rape can decrease ones desire to
meet new people, which can make it hard to obtain a social life. Survivors can also become
pregnant by the individual they were assaulted by. Some women may feel as if they have to keep
the child. If a contraceptive was not used during the attack, the survivor will worry about having
any sexually transmitted diseases. Having a child or a sexually transmitted disease by an
unknown individual can scar a person for a lifetime. Children that may have been conceived after
a sexual assault are often put up for adoption because the mother does not want to be reminded
of what happened to them by the actions of someone they have never met.
Although stranger and acquaintance rape can both be detrimental, a victim might find it
exhausting and impossible to recover from sexual assault by an acquaintance.. Most victims of
stranger rape may never have to face their attacker anymore again, as opposed to being attacked
by someone they knew. Having to carry the burden of others believing the attacker over the
victim can cause serious damage to the victim. Victims can even slip into deep depression for not

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being heard and wrongly accused. It is easier for an attacker that is well known to get away with
their crime and have pleasure watching the victim suffer in silence.
Studies show that eighty percent of women and girls were assaulted by someone they
knew (UCLA Medical Center). Not only does the victim suffer with the thought of the incident
but what the attacker has deprived from the victim and detrimental results that follow from the
incident. No matter what type of sexual assault a survivor has experienced, it is important that
they ensure their safety and make sure they get immediate medical attention. No one would want
to live with an unknown and untreated sexually transmitted disease. It is also important to make
sure that there was no conception, and if so, proceed to take any action that will benefit the
well-being of the survivor. Any sexual assault victim must know that they are in fact not the one
to be blamed. It is imperative for survivors everywhere to know that they can recover from their
assault no matter how long it may take. The definition of a survivor is one who can manage to
survive after a detrimental event. Sexual assault is horrific enough to make a person forget who
they really are. Survivors must know that they are important even though they are made to feel as
if they were nothing more than trash. The best way to push through tragic events is to talk about
it. Whether it be to a well trusted friend, or even a counselor. No one should ever feel like they
are not worth anything because of what a someone else has done to them. Survivors will always
need a strong support system to remain in their corner no matter how difficult the circumstances
have become for them.

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