Rape
How common is rape?
Rape is the most common serious crime against women. Although the reported incidence
varies somewhat from year to year, most authorities agree that the number of rapes far
exceeds the numbers actually reported.
There are many different kinds of rapists, ranging from the easily-discouraged to the
sociopath who has decided that he won't stop until you are dead, or he is.
How serious is rape?
Very serious. Serious enough to be legally classified right up there with murder and
robbery as the most serious of crimes. Even if a minimum of force is used to carry out the
rape, the possible consequences to the woman (pregnancy, AIDS, herpes, other venereal
disease, and post-traumatic physical and psychological effects) are extreme, severe, and
very long-lasting.
Should I try to talk him out of it?
You should use whatever method you think will be appropriate. For a rapist who is fairly
casual about the situation, it might be possible to talk him out of it but, in most cases,
that's not something you can count on. You should definitely have a repertoire of other
things that you can do if talking doesn't work or if there isn't time to talk.
Information presented as a public service courtesy of www.aware.org for women
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