TIPS FROM THE LAPD : SEXUAL ASSAULT
A rape is reported about once every five minutes in the United States. But many rapes go unreported. The motivation for this crime is not sexual gratification; it is power and anger. A rapist’s goals are to control, dominate, humiliate and degrade. Awarness and knowledge of this violent crime are the keys to lessening your chances of becoming a victim.
Statistics 87% of rapists carry a weapon or threaten the victim with violence or death. 50% to 75% of victims know their attacker. A third to half of all rapes occur in the victim’s or offender’s home. Rapists attack members of their own race in 90% of cases. It is estimated that only one out of every five or six rapes is reported to police.
Definition of Rape Under California law, rape is defined as sexual intercourse against the will of the victim and can occur under several circumstances, including the following: The assailant uses physical force or the threat of force to overpower and control the victim. The victim is unable to give consent because of intoxication, a mental disorder or a development or physical disability.
Reducing Your Risk At home Lock all doors and windows, especially at night. List only last name and initials on your mailbox and in the phone directory. Replace locks when you change residences. Do not hide a duplicate key outside. Install a wide-angle viewer in your door. Do not let children answer the door. Verify the identification of any repair or utility service person. (All utilities have a phone number to verify the identity and schedules of their personnel.) If you live alone, do not advertise it. Do not allow people to use your phone for emergency calls; ask them to wait outside while you make the call. Never give wrong-number callers any information. Leave some lights on at night. Use good exterior lighting and motion-detector lights around your house. If you live in an apartment building, avoid empty laundry rooms. Avoid entering an elevator occupied only by a stranger. Walking Avoid walking alone; stay on well-lighted streets. Carry a flashlight and a shriek alarm. Be aware of your surroundings. If you think you are being followed, cross the street and head for bright lights and people. If a vehicle approaches you and you feel you are threatened, turn and run. Do not be afraid to scream. Do a quick survey of parking lots before entering.
If You Are Attacked No one can tell you whether passive or active resistance is the best course of action. Think in advance about what you might do in a threatening situation, so that you will be better able to quickly and wisely choose your options. Here are some: Assess the situation as it is happening. If the first strategy does not work, try another. If you choose to resist, a scream can surprise or frighten an attacker away if he fears that people will come to help. A forceful struggle may also discourage the rapist and give you an opportunity to escape. But all blows or kicks must be forceful and aimed at vulnerable areas. Martial arts can be effective, but proficiency takes practice and still may not be effective against some attackers. Guns, knives or chemical sprays may ward off attackers, but unless you are well-trained and not afraid to use these weapons, the attacker maybe able to turn them against you. It is illegal to carry a concealed firearm and some types of knives. To legally carry chemical sprays, you must complete a training course by a certified agency and have a license. Passive resistance may help to defuse the violence of the attacker. Try to calm him and persuade him not to carry out the attack. Claim to be pregnant or sick. Telling an attacker you have AIDS or a sexually transmitted disease may deter him. Other means of discouragement include pretending to faint, crying hysterically or acting insane or mentally incapacitated.
Getting Help Many victims of sexual assault don’t know where to turn for help or may be afraid or ashamed to talk to anyone. If you have been assaulted, it is important to get help quickly. Call the police; they can take you to a hospital and get information that will help them arrest the rapist. Avoid the impulse to “wash away” the ugliness of the crime. Do not change your clothes, shower, wash or douche until after you have called the police and have been taken to a hospital. Skin, blood, saliva, hair, seminal fluid and other samples can be collected and used to help identify and convict the rapist. If for some reason you do not want to call police right away, get help from a friend, a hospital emergency room, or call a rape center or other crisis center. Here are two numbers: Los Angeles Rape and Battering Hotline: (310) 392-8381. Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center: (310) 319-4000. Source: Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Rape and Battering Hot Line.