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Originally Posted by Jack1.0
According to a "Sexual Assault Awareness" training course that I recently was required to take by my employer.
The majority of Serial Rapist are not the “Hooded Lurkers” that you see in the headlines, but are actually closer to what you might call a “Date Rape Artist” (my term.) The rapist is often someone that the victim knows casually through work/school/etc. In a social situation, such as a party or at a club, they condition their victim using alcohol and/or drugs to reduce the victim’s judgment and ability to physically resist. The rapist then maneuvers their victim away from friends and associates to a place where the rape begins as a consensual encounter (kissing/petting.) If the victim is still sober enough to resist, the rapist is not afraid to use their upper body strength and physical size to force their way.
The “Date Rape Artist” often convinces themselves that they are simply "hot with the ladies" and my often brags to friends about his latest successful conquest. His openness about having intercourse with his victim reduces the credibility of the victim and reinforces the rapist’ conviction that the rape was consensual.
The victims often doubt themselves and believe it was their own fault for letting the rape happen. The psychological effect on the victims can leave scars that will last their entire life.
I have known women who were victims of rape and their stories were frighteningly close to the scenarios presented in the awareness course.
There is line between using alcohol to “lowering inhibitions” and using it to condition a victim. There is a line between consensual sex and rape, it is crossed when the victim says “No” or tries to resist and the rapist disregards it. Proving that they resisted often comes down to the victim's word against the attacker's. Don't be so quick to assume that everything was consensual. As guys we tend to wink and give each other the high five. Stop and think the next time you hear someone bragging about the waisted Chick they got "Lucky" with.
[Please Note: My post here is intended as a plea to reconsider our personal attitudes. Not an attack on anyone in the thread.]
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Allow me to clarify my previous statement regarding alcohol. The statement in question only applies to individuals who are mildly inebriated. If someone is so drunk as to be insensible, that individual is unable to give consent. There is no implied consent when it comes to sex. Any act where consent is not given is, in my mind, an offence.
Was this girl drunk to the point where she couldn't refuse? Maybe, but probably not. It'd be hard for her to commit an oral sex act if she were, I'd reckon. She did consent (the original article notes the act was voluntary) and this guy, from the sounds of it, got caught on a stat rape charge.
I make no assertions as to this man's character. He may be a saint or a creep and I have no way of knowing. I do know that it's not unreasonable that a 22 year old man would have sex with a 16 year old girl, possibly without even knowing she's as young as she is. As he's getting off with probation I'm inclined to say this is his first offence. There's nothing here that says 'this man is a pedophile' as far as I'm concerned.
astrahl - that's the grey area I was referring to. The whole issue here is that we can't make a universal statement in regards to the maturity of 16 year olds, because each individual develops at his or her own rate.
This is, to me, an example of where innocent until proven guilty holds true. Sexual offences are a very touchy area and the knee-jerk response tends to be 'burn 'em all.' Here's this guy who made a mistake, admitted to it (he plead guilty to a statutory rape, from the looks of it) and is willing to pay his dues. I'll grant that there's nothing here that expressly states that he isn't a sexual predator of some sort, but there's nothing that says he is, either. He may have just not realized that she was as young as she was. If that's the case, does he still deserve to have that registration following him everywhere he goes for the rest of his life?