Date Rape Essay Example for Free

Date Rape Essay Introduction Popular views on commital of rape are confined on the idea that a stranger, the supposed perpetrator settles on a secluded or dark area and forcibly attacking someone, before inflicting sexual contact. While this may appear to be true, it is now a basic reality that rapists aren’t just strangers. Even people we know: friends, acquaintances, relatives and co-workers are possible suspects. In fact, about half of the victims of rape know their perpetrators. Incidences of commital of the crime seemed to be alarmingly high as it comprised fifty to seventy-five percent of all accounted rape cases. But even these data do not speak of the actual figures. The University of Buffalo’s Student Affairs cited a conservative FBI statistics which provided that only three and a half percent of all forms of rape are reported. By examining and analyzing available results, this paper tries to answer questions surrounding date rape, which as follows: a) What is date rape?, b) How did it evolve?, c) What are its causes?, d) What are the risks factors?, and e) What are the necessary interventions? Anwering these questions would enable us to provide the necessary information regarding date rape. Definition and history of date rape Of the cases reported, majority of it appears that the perpetrator is a victims’s acquaintance. While it is assumed that most of this acquaintances, ranging from friends and acquaintances to dates, romantic partners, and spouses or domestic partners do not necessarily end up in violence, in certain instances and causes, rape happens. For this study, when forced sexual intercourcourse takes place between two acquaintances, it is called date rape or acquaintance rape (Homeier, et al., 2006). Date rape, on an initial public sense, is defined to be a subset of acquaintance rape where two people involved in a romantic relationship engage in nonconsensual sex. But in the case of acquaintance rape, relationship (romantic or professional) has no bearing of the situation; hence, it can be described as plain and pure sexual assault or unwanted sexual contact. The law refers sexual assault to include the commital of rape (oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse) or the force penetration of any foreign objects in the genitalia (dildo, vibrator, including finger) without consent from the victim. Meanwhile, one of the early advocacy movements on date rape in the US was pioneered way back in the 70’s in Delaware. The realization of an organization called Support Group for Victims of Sexual Offense (S.O.S.) founded by then Director of the Health Service Dr. Majorie McKusick was a driving force behind the idea to provide services to survivors of sexual assault. In 1988, SOS produced a brochure dedicated to date rape. At present, bearing a new name, the organization is continuing its efforts to raise awareness on date rape. III. Hypothesis But as to why many people fall on the verge of date rape and as to why individuals commit this crime, remains a broad subject open for discussion. Basing on facts and scientific studies though, leading experts and institutions underwent a series of researches about the topic, some of which have produced fair but contradicting results.   Given the extensive scope of this issue, this paper assumes that risk factors: perceived dating behaviors, external factors (drugs, alcohol), and attitudes of supposed victims and perpetrators constitute likelihood of dating violence and rape. Gravity of the crime Meanwhile, depending on the gravity of the case, non-penetration actions such as touching the private parts of the victim (e.g. buttocks, breasts, genitalia), naked or through clothing constitute an assault but not necessarily rape, albeit, these are detterent to the rape itself. Forcing another individual to touch another person’s private parts even against his/her will also constitute the same.   On the otherhand, the infliction of physical hostility, threats of aggression, or perform sexual contact with an unconscious, asleep, or intoxicated individual describe the force or advantage. Coercion, without the aid of force or hostility is also used such as grave threats, reaveling secrets, put the victim to shame, sack an employee or fail a student are forms of sexual harassment. The Crime scene Actions pertaining to date rapes are reported in strategic areas or venues, depending on the status and preferences of the supposed victim. As the name suggests, the crime usually pointed to locations related to the place of the date or meeting. The assault usually happens in secluded, dark, and private or even public and busy places (e.g. hotels, garden, beach, comfort rooms, cars or club houses). Some cases were reportedly committed in bushy, dark areas away from the human settlements. In the case of college students, date related violence was recorded within the university premises. This is proof to the fact that even the school is not even safe nowadays, more so, it has become a favorite venue for this crime. Commission of rape happens usually in a predictable and definite instance. This can be observed if the prospect is conscious of what is happening around him/her. But in most cases, the motives are already predisposed; hence, timing is of great consideration for the suspects to pursue with the aided or unaided sexual assault and for victims to escape the trap. Even in a promenade or a fair, where people are busy, perpetrators find a leeway to commit rape if not harassment. The targets While many people often think that rape only happens typically to women, this is not always the case. Even men also have experiences of sexual assault. Some even lead to rape, although it occurs frequently within heterosexual dating relationships. This scenario showed that date rape transcends gender, as in the case of people of every ethnicity, age, culture, religion, economic background, or sexual orientation. Just like the opposite sex sexual assault, the majority of same-sex cases occur between people who have close relationships. However, perpetrators as well as the survivors are not always gay or lesbian. Moreover, sexual assault can also be part of a bias crime against someone perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered the perpetrator in this instance can be either the same or opposite sex as the survivor. Although girls and women are the most often victims of rape one in three women will be sexually assaulted in her life, men is also vulnerable to be raped. A study revealed that seven to ten percent of rape victims are male. Meanwhile, teenagers and young adults are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in all other age groups. A USF-Counseling Center for Human Development report showed: that 52% of women students have experienced some form of sexual victimization, 1 in 8 college women have been raped; 1 in 12 college men admitted to sexually abusing women but did not consider themselves rapists; of the women raped, almost 75% didnt identify it as such; 47% of rapes were by first or casual dates or by romantic acquaintances; and over 1/3 of the women didnt discuss the rape with anyone, and over 90% didnt report it to the police. Moreover, in a 1998 Minnesota Student Survey, approximately 9% of girls and 6% of boys had experienced date violence or rape. On the other hand, lifetime prevalence of date or acquaintance rape ranges from thirteen percent to twenty seven percent among college-age women and 20% to a high of 68% among adolescents. VII. Causes and Tendencies As to the cause of becoming a victim and becoming a rapist, an array of results from researches in the last decade revealed that behavior, perception, and external factors confronts both the victim and the perpetrator. On a study conducted on perceived causes of date rape, 142 undergraduates were presented with grids containing 9 causes listed by column and row. They were asked to indicate if they believed there was a causal link between each of the 72 causal pairings. The result placed emphasis on drunkenness, norms of dating, and societys attitude to date rape. Misunderstanding of men’s behavior, male attitude on the unimportance of date rape, and need by males for dominance were seen as prime causes (Bostwick DeLucia, 1992). Demographic characteristics that increase vulnerability to date rape include younger age at first date, early sexual activity, earlier age of menarche, history of sexual abuse or prior sexual victimization, and being more acceptable of rape myths and violence towards women.   Ackard Neumark-Sztainer (2002) on the other hand associated date rape with the higher rates of eating disorder behaviors and suicidal tendencies, and lower scores on emotional well-being and self-esteem scales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teenage girls intentionally hurt by a date in the previous date are more likely to experience sexual health risks, including vulnerability to human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections, or getting pregnant. Dating violence should also be included in reproductive health programs, and greater efforts to identify women experiencing violence while on date are needed among those providing care related to adolescent reproductive health (Silverman, 2004). Other risk factors include date-specific behaviors such as who paid the expenses, who drove, date, location and activity, as well as the use of alcohol or take drugs such as flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) (Rickert Wiemann, 1998). A benzodiazepine with pharmacologic actions is similar to those of diazepam that can cause anterograde amnesia. Some reports showed that it is used as a date rape drug and suggest that it may cause violent behavior. The US government has already banned the importation of this drug which was introduced in 1984. Alcohol consumption that occurs within the context of the date can lead to: the misinterpretation of friendly gestures or cues as sexual invitations and the females inability to ward off a potential attack. Kanin (1985) proposed that perpetrators’ deviant sexual behavior has often been portrayed as the result of frustrated but legitimate sexual exhaustion. This study of the perpetrators reveals that as a product of a hypersexual socialization process, these men are sexually active, aspiring, and successful. Due to an exaggerated desire levels viewed as responsible for instituting a high degree of sexual disappointment, this acute relative deficit is a significant process reponsible for the rape episodes. VIII. Interventions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dating violence happens among teemagers which bears common and unique risk factors for dating violence found across adolescents grouped by sex, race/ethnicity, and prior victimization. Rickert, et. al., (2002) described that efforts to lessen dating violence should (1) increase the use of screening tools that measure victimization as well as contextual parameters that will promote promote dating violence; (2) increase self-efficacy to promote safer sex; (3) reduce the use/abuse of alcohol and other drugs that facilitate dating violence; and (4) eliminate the influence of negative peer behavior. Interventions to prevent dating violence will likely also lower unwanted pregnancy rates, HIV-AIDS, and sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s)among young people.. Old town beliefs of a woman being unable to rape another woman and a man with another man these make survivors hard to find someone to talk to, avail services, or even believe themselves that they were raped. Survivors of assault by a same-sex partner or date may face various fears such as homophobia and heterosexist attitudes when disclosing the sexual ordeal or receive medical or psychologicalinterventions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Van Wie’s 1995 study on resistance to rape showed that participants in the category with perceived resistance conditions took a longer time to identify when the subject should abstain from pursuing sexual contact, thereby exposing them more to be raped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Results of this study could be used to promote level of awareness on date rape, educate people about the risks and responses with date rape, and to strengthen rules regarding proper sexual behavior. Conclusion   Research designs and materials are needed to advance our our knowledge and understanding of sexual violence among teenagers and the most effective ways to eliminate it. Understanding and comparing research findings would be easier if consensus regarding the definitions of date rape, sexual aggression, and sexual assault was obtained. Finally, prevention programs on primary and secondary date and acquaintance rape must be enhanced and be subjected to systematic evaluation (Rickert Wiemann, 1998) Almost sixty percent of victims who experienced rape and attempted rape disclosed this information to one or more individuals, whereas only 47% of those who experienced verbally coerced sex told another person. Rickert, et. al., (2005) observed that alcohol addiction and a shorter dating history are important variables related with disclosure of rape/attempted rape as well as the time for disclosure. Meanwhile, factors affecting the disclosure of verbally coerced sex and the latency associated with it are less well defined A present survey based on 70% returns of a random sample of 200 women at one college indicated that, although 5% had been date raped, none reported the rapes to authorities due to feelings of self-blame and embarrassment. Rape scenarios that were not reported could perpetuate a self-fulfilling prophecy that rapes do not occur. A victim of rape may feel she is the only one against the world and is reluctant to exclude one’s self who will report. However, this denial by both victims and authorities does not encourage programs for prevention and treatment (Finkelson Oswalt, 1995). Increasing identification of the incidence of date/acquaintance rape (DAR) in the US, especially among women in college, has led to an understanding that the techniques needed to ward off attacks from acquaintances differ from the techniques used to prevent rape by strangers. This study proved and validated the following DAR constructs: perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy, relational priority which is neglecting self-interest to save a relationship, rape myth acceptance (believing myths about rape which makes women avoid facing their own vulnerability), and commitment to self-defense. These constructs were also correlated with scales for masculinity, self-esteem, and degree of belief in a just world. Finally, date and acquaintance rape is not only a womans issue. Men must also be actively aware of this issue, as they can help minimize rape by educating themselves and others. â€Å"Healthy relationships involve respect including respect for the feelings of others. Someone who really cares about you will respect your wishes and not force or pressure you to have sex.†          References:    Finkelson, L., Oswalt, R. (1995). College date rape: incidence and reporting. Psychol Rep, 77(2), 526. Kanin, E. J. (1985). Date rapists: differential sexual socialization and relative deprivation. Arch Sex Behav, 14(3), 219-231. Rickert, V. I., Wiemann, C. M., Vaughan, R. D. (2005). Disclosure of date/acquaintance rape: who reports and when. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 18(1), 17-24. Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., Clements, K. (2004). Dating violence and associated sexual risk and pregnancy among adolescent girls in the United States. Pediatrics, 114(2), e220-225. Walsh, J. F., Devellis, B. M., Devellis, R. F. (1997). Date and acquaintance rape. Development and validation of a set of scales. Violence Against Women, 3(1), 46-58.

What Constitutes Knowledge? Essay -- Definition Educating Knowing Essa

What Constitutes Knowledge?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The workings of the mind have been the focus of philosophers from the beginnings of humanity. One primary focal point that has been pondered over by numerous thinkers is what exactly constitutes knowledge. At first glance the issue seems to be cut and dry but the question gets more complicated with thought. This can be witnessed by the many different epistemological theories put forward throughout the ages. This can specifically be seen by looking at 4 different classical views on knowledge, those of Plato, Epicurus, the Stoics and the Skeptics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As it was stated in the opening paragraph of this essay everyone has their own theory of what constitutes knowledge. That is why I think it would be beneficial for me to state what I believe knowledge is. First of all I don’t think anyone can ever know anything for certain. I believe that we can sense certain sights, smells, sounds, etc. but our senses could be mistaken. We are let down by our senses all the time we see optical illusions, mirages, mishear people, confuse odors and the like. Also if you think about all of the senses that we are lacking that other species have we are missing out on a great portion of reality. For example bloodhounds have a drastically stronger sense of smell, snakes can see heat, dolphins and bats communicate through high frequency sounds that we can not dream of hearing. Added to all the other things that go on around us daily that we are missing shows me that we are missing out on what is truly reality. We can only hope to experience, or â€Å"know† our own very limited reality. So to that end that is one reason I don’t think we can ever really know anything. In regards to knowledge of human reality I believe that we may be able to be very confident of certain things but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we know them. To me knowledge is having 100% certainty of a fact and that’s dangerous in my opinion because nothing we experience is certain. Here I split what has been called knowledge into empirical knowledge, rational knowledge and Knowledge that we hear from others. However I think that each one of these categories has their own shortcomings and I’ll deal with them from the most credible source of knowledge to the least. As I explained before the senses can deceive us and there is no reason to believe that anything we see is reality. Eve... ...ntrol plays an extremely important part in the process of chasing knowledge. It takes a great deal of self control to admit to yourself that you do not know something. It is a common human characteristic to assume that you know a certain piece of information and you need to restrain yourself and at least double check the validity of the statement. It is also very important to remember how you came to â€Å"know† the information. Many people claim to know things that they have learned in class, from parents, or in church. However, none of these are valid avenues to true knowledge. Just because another individual says something that makes some sense doesn’t mean it’s correct. The individual needs to be wary of believing that they know things. It is one thing to believe in something but it is a far greater commitment to say that you know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I agree with some of the points made by the classical philosophers on the subject of knowledge, but I don’t agree with any of their entire theories. Socrates, Epicuris, the skeptics and the Stoics all make valid points but also stray from my view of what knowledge is. However, I am quite sure that my theory could be wrong as well.

Nature of emotions Essay

Compare The Two of Us by Armitage and Havisham by Duffy, paying particular attention to how thoughts and feelings are presented. The two poems by Armitage and Duffy focus specifically on the destructive nature of emotions. The Two of Us focuses on the superficiality of possession whilst Havisham considers the deception of relationships. This brings about both of the speakers and poets feelings. The Two of Us deals with a comparison between two brothers who differ in terms of wealth and professions. There is also a moral to Armitage’s poem, which emphasises the idea that material goods will be useless in death. This means that the poem is thought provoking. On the other hand, Havisham concentrates on a female speaker who is angry and bitter about a failed relationship, most likely caused from an unfaithful partner. The poet explores themes of jealousy and violence, which gives an interesting twist on Duffy’s familiar theme of love. Nevertheless, the two poems have similarities in terms of perspective. They both employ the personal pronoun â€Å"I† which expresses the deep individual thoughts and feelings of the speaker. However, The Two of Us also involves the second person pronoun â€Å"you† to express a feeling of accusation and deep resentment. There are several differences in the structure of both poems. The Two of Us has a rhyme scheme, which mirrors the ‘I’ and ‘you’ of the poem. However, Havisham is written in free verse, which reflects the spontaneity of the speaker’s emotions. It also shows that the speaker is lacking control of her own feelings Therefore, The Two of US has a stricter structure to reinforce the divide between the rich brother and the poor one. There are similar aspects of thoughts and feelings in terms of imagery. Both employ colour imagery to depict specific emotions and moods, for example, the colour â€Å"gold† in The Two of Us has connotations of glamour and a degree of luxury. Havisham uses colour in a more traditional and stereotypical sense i. e. â€Å"dark green pebbles for eyes,† this illustrating the speaker’s envy. However, The two of us is written more uniquely; this shown through the cluster of similes in the fifth stanza; â€Å"Like I’m some cutting taken from the tree† â€Å"Like I’m some twig related to the root. † The speaker emphasises that they are actually related and could possibly be twins. There are also similarities and differences between the two poems in terms of language. Both use juxtapositions but for different purposes. In The Two of Us it provides a contrast between rich and poor whilst in Havisham in expresses her feelings for her lover, â€Å"Beloved sweetheart bastard. † However, both poems have unique features to portray thoughts and feelings. The pathetic fallacy in The Two of Us allows the reader to empathise towards the poor conditions the speaker lives in; † †¦ Rain to racket on the metal roof† The harsh sounding alliteration makes the weather seem a lot tougher and therefore the conditions he faces a lot tougher. This makes the rich brother a more unlikeable character because he has not helped the poor one. Havisham uses different language techniques to portray the message of the poem. The final stanza shows how hurt and upset the speaker is, â€Å"Don’t think that its only the heart that b-b-b-breaks. † This breakdown in language shows that the speaker is sobbing and been affected by the broken relationship. Overall, both poems are successful in presenting the thoughts and feeling of the speakers. They target specific emotions from the reader which aids in the reader understanding the poems.

Lines of Longitude in Geography

Longitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured east or west of a point on Earths surface. Where Is Zero Degrees Longitude? Unlike latitude, there is no easy point of reference such as the equator to be designated as zero degrees in the longitude system. To avoid confusion, the worlds nations have agreed that the Prime Meridian, which passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, will serve as that reference point and be designated as zero degrees. Because of this designation, longitude is measured in degrees west or east of the Prime Meridian. For example, 30Â °E, the line passing through eastern Africa, is an angular distance of 30Â ° east of the Prime Meridian. 30Â °W, which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an angular distance of 30Â ° west of the Prime Meridian. There are 180 degrees east of the Prime Meridian and coordinates are sometimes given without the designation of E or east. When this is used, a positive value represents coordinates east of the Prime Meridian. There are also 180 degrees west of the Prime Meridian and when W or west is omitted in a coordinate a negative value such as -30Â ° represents coordinates west of the Prime Meridian. The 180Â ° line is neither east nor west and approximates the International Date Line. On a map (diagram), lines of longitude are the vertical lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole and are perpendicular to lines of latitude. Every line of longitude also crosses the equator. Because longitude lines are not parallel, they are known as meridians. Like parallels, meridians name the specific line and indicate the distance east or west of a 0Â ° line. Meridians converge at the poles and are farthest apart at the equator (about 69 miles (111 km) apart). Development and History of Longitude For centuries, mariners and explorers worked to determine their longitude in an effort to make navigation easier. Latitude was determined easily by observing the inclination of the sun or the position of known stars in the sky and calculating the angular distance from the horizon to them. Longitude could not be determined in this way because Earths rotation constantly changes the position of stars and the sun. The first person to offer a method for measuring longitude was the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. In the late 1400s, he began measuring and comparing the positions of the moon and Mars with their predicted positions over several nights at the same time (diagram). In his measurements, Vespucci calculated the angle between his location, the moon, and Mars. By doing this, Vespucci got a rough estimate of longitude. This method did not become widely used however because it relied on a specific astronomical event. Observers also needed to know the specific time and measure the moon and Mars positions on a stable viewing platform- both of which were difficult to do at sea. In the early 1600s, a new idea to measure longitude was developed when Galileo determined that it could be measured with two clocks. He said that any point on Earth took 24 hours to travel the full 360Â ° rotation of Earth. He found that if you divide 360Â ° by 24 hours, you find that a point on Earth travels 15Â ° of longitude every hour. Therefore, with an accurate clock at sea, a comparison of two clocks would determine longitude. One clock would be at the home port and the other on the ship. The clock on the ship would need to be reset to local noon each day. The time difference would then indicate the longitudinal difference traveled as one hour represented a 15Â ° change in longitude. Shortly thereafter, there were several attempts to make a clock that could accurately tell time on the unstable deck of a ship. In 1728, clockmaker John Harrison began working on the problem and in 1760, he produced the first marine chronometer called Number 4. In 1761, the chronometer was tested and determined to be accurate, officially making it possible to measure longitude on land and at sea. Measuring Longitude Today Today, longitude is more accurately measured with atomic clocks and satellites. The Earth is still divided equally into 360Â ° of longitude with 180Â ° being east of the Prime Meridian and 180Â ° west. Longitudinal coordinates are divided into degrees, minutes and seconds with 60 minutes making up a degree and 60 seconds comprising a minute. For example, Beijing, Chinas longitude is 116Â °2330E. The 116Â ° indicates that it lies near the 116th meridian while the minutes and seconds indicate just how close it is to that line. The E indicates that it is that distance east of the Prime Meridian. Although less common, longitude can also be written in decimal degrees. Beijings location in this format is 116.391Â °. In addition to the Prime Meridian, which is the 0Â ° mark in todays longitudinal system, the International Date Line is also an important marker. It is the 180Â ° meridian on the opposite side of the Earth and is where the eastern and western hemispheres meet. It also marks the place where each day officially begins. At the International Date Line, the west side of the line is always one day ahead of the east side, no matter what time of day it is when the line is crossed. This is because the Earth rotates east on its axis. Longitude and Latitude Lines of longitude or meridians are the vertical lines running from the South Pole to the North Pole. Lines of latitude or parallels are the horizontal lines running from the west to the east. The two cross each other at perpendicular angles and when combined as a set of coordinates they are extremely accurate in locating places on the globe. They are so accurate that they can locate cities and even buildings to within inches. For example, the Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, has a coordinate set of 27Â °1029N, 78Â °232E. To view the longitude and latitude of other places, visit the collection of Locate Places Worldwide resources on this site.