Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/assault.aspx

Picture it. You wake up. You're naked. You have a pounding headache, aching muscles, and you can't remember anything from last night. One minute you and some friends are getting a ride to a party, the next you're waking up here, on a stranger's bed in a room you've never even seen before.

You search around in the dark for a minute or so, and piece-by-piece you find the clothes you were wearing last night. You quickly pull on your underwear and jeans, and are about to throw on your top when you notice something's wrong. There's a long tear stretching down from the neckline of your shirt. For a minute, you just sit there in confusion - what the heck happened last night?

Then, a spark fires in your brain. You remember something from the night before that makes your skin crawl, and in a single instant, your life is changed forever. You're not sure, but you think you've been raped.

This is drug-facilitated sexual assault, and no one's really sure how often it happens.

Often known as "drug rape" or "date rape", drug-facilitated sexual assault is when someone uses the fact that you've taken or been given alcohol or drugs to sexually assault you.

This sexual assault can be anything from unwanted kissing or touching to full-blown rape. Obviously, rape is worse than an unwanted kiss or touch, but all sexual assaults are serious crimes.

Someone could also slip a "date-rape" drug into your drink that will make you completely out of it and an easy target. These drugs can also make you pass out or erase parts of your memory, so you might wake up the next day and never know what's happened to you.

Other times, someone may take advantage of a person who's had too much to drink or took drugs willingly - a girl who is passed out at a party, for example.

Myths and Facts about Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/media-room/matte-stories-4.aspx

You wake up in a strange bed. Your head is pounding, your muscles ache, and you have no memory of the night before. The last thing you remember is heading to a party with some friends - everything after that is gone. Then, a memory fires in your mind. You're not sure, but you think you've been drugged and sexually assaulted.

This scenario is what most people think of when they think of drug-facilitated sexual assault - a woman being assaulted after having "date-rape" drugs such as Rohypnol® ("Roofies") slipped into her drink. In reality, this only represents a small piece of the bigger picture of this terrible crime. To help get the record straight, here are some myths, facts and tips:

Myth:	A person has to be drugged to become a victim of drug-facilitated sexual assault
Fact:	Though these crimes are usually depicted this way on TV or movies, drug-facilitated sexual assault is more often committed by an offender who targets an intoxicated victim.
Myth:	These crimes are always committed with “date-rape” drugs
Fact:	The most common drug involved in drug-facilitated sexual assault is not Rohypnol® - it’s alcohol. An offender may assault an intoxicated woman who does not give her consent, or take advantage of a woman after she has blacked out. He may also pressure her to drink heavily or mix her drinks extra strong.
Myth:	If a woman is sexually assaulted after she gets really drunk, it’s partly her fault because she was asking for it.
Fact:	Only one person is responsible for sexual assault – the person who commits it. Being intoxicated - through alcohol or any other drug - is NEVER an invitation for sex.
Myth:	Only teenaged girls are victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault.
Fact:	Statistically, women between 16 and 24 are at highest risk of being sexually assaulted; however, anyone can become a victim of drug-facilitated sexual assault, regardless of age, sexual orientation, and even gender.
Myth:	These crimes are always committed by strangers
Fact:	Most sexual assaults are committed by friends or acquaintances of the victim.
Myth:	Drug-facilitated sexual assaults are very uncommon.
Fact:	About twenty-five percent of women report that drugs were a factor in a rape. However, because drug-facilitated sexual assault is a highly underreported crime, no one can say for sure just how often it happens.

It is never a victim’s responsibility to prevent an assault, but the following tips can help you have a safe and fun time when at a bar, a party, or just out with friends.

• If you plan to get intoxicated, be aware of your surroundings and the people you’re with. If you feel the need to sleep or feel you may pass out, consider asking a trusted and sober friend for a ride home.
• Avoid leaving your drink unattended, and if your drink ever tastes, looks or smells strange, don’t drink it.
• Use a buddy system if you go out with your friends; keep an eye on them and have them keep an eye on you.
• If you suspect you may have been drugged, particularly if you feel “way too intoxicated” or extremely drowsy, get help immediately.

The Drugs

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/assault-3.aspx

• Alcohol
  Most drug-facilitated sexual assaults involve alcohol. An offender may take advantage of a woman who has had too much to drink and is too drunk to resist or consent, or after she has passed out completely. Also, alcohol can add to the effects of other drugs, making a person even more vulnerable. Legally, a woman can be "too drunk" to give her consent, and it doesn't matter if the man who sexually assaults her is also drunk.

• Rohypnol®
  Rohypnol®, commonly known as "Roofies", is the brand name of a drug called flunitrazepam. Though it is illegal in Canada and the U.S., it is still prescribed in Mexico to people with sleeping disorders. It is very powerful, and will make a victim very drowsy. If dissolved in a drink, Rohypnol® is odourless and tasteless but may colour the liquid blue or murky because of a special new dye. The effects last about 8 hours and will make you feel like you are very drunk and very tired. It can also blur a victim's memory for hours after it is taken. When mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol® can cause death. The pills are usually either small, round and white with the word "Roche" printed on them, or green and oval-shaped with the number 542 printed on them.

• GHB
  GHB (also called "G" or "Liquid X") is usually a colourless liquid - it looks just like water - and can easily be poured into a drink. It will cause a spiked drink to have a slightly soapy or bitter taste. It is very dangerous; it can cause unconsciousness, seizures and even death. Overdoses are very common, particularly when it is mixed with alcohol. The effect of GHB is very similar to the effect of a lot of alcohol, and like Rohypnol®, GHB can blur a victim's memory for several hours.

• Ketamine
  Ketamine (also called "K" or "Special K") is still used legally by veterinarians when performing surgery on animals. It is a very powerful anaesthetic, which means it will dull pain and make a person feel "numb" or pass out. It can also cause a "trance-like" state - sometimes called a "k-hole" - in which a victim may have no idea what is going on around them. Ketamine will cause victims to lose sense of time, and it may also blur their memory. Unlike GHB and Rohypnol®, someone slipped Ketamine will probably not be mistaken for someone who is just "really drunk". Ketamine also tastes really bad, and is easier to notice when mixed in a drink. Ketamine can cause hallucinations, a deep hypnotic state and "out of body"-like experiences.

• Cannabis - Marijuana, Hash, Hash oil
  The effects of marijuana and hash are very different from the above drugs, but Cannabis is still the second most common drug found in drug-facilitated sexual assault victims. This is most likely because marijuana and hash are used much more often than other "date-rape" drugs. Still, it highlights an important point: people are at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted whenever they are intoxicated. Smoking marijuana or hash will also add to the effect of alcohol, making a person an easier target for sexual assault.

• The Rest
  Drugs make people act in ways that they normally wouldn't, and many drugs can facilitate a sexual assault even if they don't have "date-rape" effects like memory loss. On almost any drug, you're more likely to wind up in an uncomfortable situation, signals are more likely to get crossed, and you may not pick up on the warning signs of a rape or sexually assault. Or you may just have consensual, regrettable sex with someone you otherwise wouldn't. Some drugs may also make people more likely to commit sexual assault too (among other crimes). The "rave" drug Crystal Meth (speed) has been associated with a lot of high-risk sexual activity, and other drugs like PCP are very unpredictable, and have been known to make people go completely berserk.

Safety Tips

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/assault-4.aspx

No matter what, sexual assault is never a victim's fault. And it's not a person's responsibility to "prevent" themselves from being assaulted. The only person responsible for a sexual assault is the person who commits it. But the following tips can help you have a safe and fun time when at a party, bar or just hanging out with friends.

If you're drinking alcohol, keep an eye on yourself and your friends. If you're worried about getting into an uncomfortable situation with someone, tell your friends how you feel and ask them to watch out for you. And if at any time you feel so drunk that you might pass out, consider where you are and the people you're with. It might be a good idea to get a ride home with a trusted and sober friend or call a taxi. If that's not an option and you have to sleep around others (such as at someone's house after a party, a hotel room, etc.), ask people you trust to keep an eye on you if you pass out.

Watch for signs that your drink has been spiked - it tastes or looks weird; or you're feeling really giddy, drowsy or just "way too drunk". Remember, these drugs take effect very quickly and you should get help immediately. If you are not planning on drinking alcohol, remember that a soda or any other non-alcoholic drink can also be spiked.

Some drug-facilitated sexual assaults might start out harmlessly enough as flirting. If you are interested in someone, you may want to think about how far you'd like to go with them beforehand, and make it clear when you've gone farther than you'd like to. Flirting with someone is not an invitation for sex, nor do you "owe" them something if you do. Remember, you always have the right to change your mind about how you feel about someone.

Other safety tips:

• Limit how much alcohol you drink and remember that not everyone has the same tolerance threshold.
• Be wary of opened beverages offered by strangers or acquaintances, and open bottles yourself or observe the bartender doing so.
• Avoid drinking from punch bowls – you don’t know what’s been added.
• If your opened beverage looks, smells or tastes strange don’t drink it.
• Watch your drink – if you leave it unattended to go dancing or to the washroom, consider buying a new one.
• If you feel giddy or light headed, really drowsy or “too drunk”, get assistance from a friend. If a stranger offers to help escort you from the bar, club or party, they may want to take advantage of you.
• If you arrived with friends, check on each other before you split up later.
• If you think you or one of your friends has been drugged, get help.
• Use a buddy system: you keep an eye out on your friends and they keep an eye out on you.
• Have a designated driver who can leave a party or bar with you at any time.

If it happens to you

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/assault-5.aspx

The first step in dealing with drug-facilitated sexual assault is simply recognizing that it's happened.

If you wake up with no memory or a blurred memory, there are a few signs that might help you tell if you've been assaulted.

• You were not drinking alcohol or using drugs
• Your muscles are sore
• You have bruises or other signs of sexual assault
• You have been undressed, or your clothes are ripped, missing or stained

If you're sure or seriously suspect that you have been drugged and sexually assaulted, you should see a doctor right away:

• You may want to see a doctor or pharmacist for emergency contraception (the "morning-after" Pill) to prevent pregnancy.
• You may want to get tested for STIs or pregnancy. There are also ways for a doctor to reduce the risk of getting an STI if you have been raped.
• You may want to ask about speaking with a counselor of psychologist.

Doctors don't always have to report a sexual assault, but they will if you're young or they feel you're still in danger. Often, you won't have to press charges if you don't want to.

You may want to report the assault to police. This is a tough and personal decision that you have to make on your own. But if you are going to report the assault, it is best to do it soon, while there is still evidence. If you believe that you've been drugged, blood and urine samples can be taken to test for these drugs in your system, but the sooner these tests are done the better.

The police will have to be involved to have this testing performed, but often the decision to press charges will remain in your hands. Often you can make this decision later, so if you are at all considering pressing charges it's important to have samples collected as soon as possible.

You should call the police who will arrange for you to see a doctor right away . The doctor can then provide a medico-legal exam which involves collecting samples that may show proof of sexual assault. To help preserve evidence you should:

• If you think you were drugged, try not to urinate
• Do not douche or shower
• Do not wash the clothes you were wearing during the assault
• Do not disturb physical evidence
• If you think you were drugged and still have a cup or bottle that you were drinking from, bring it with you to the police to be tested for drugs

If you report, the police will understand that sometimes it's not in your best interest to press charges. They know what you've gone through and may not want to make you a further victim by forcing an investigation and trial.

Usually, unless you are under 16 or are still in danger, you won't have to press charges if you don't want to. Even if you do decide to press charges, you will often be able to drop the charges even after an investigation has begun. If you don't want to press charges, police may also offer to just warn the person who committed the sexual assault to try to stop them from doing it again in the future.

If you were drugged (or suspect that you were drugged) at a bar, restaurant or other public place, you may also be able to anonymously report it to Crime Stoppers or the police, so that they can investigate the location.