REAL MEN DON'T RAPE

If you have any doubts about what your partner wants, STOP, ASK, CLARIFY.

Your desires may be beyond your control but your actions are within your

control. Sexual excitement does not justify forced sex.

Do not assume her desire for affection is the same as a desire for

intercourse.

Not having sex or not "scoring" does not mean you are not a "real man."

It is OK not to "score."

A woman who turns you down for sex is not necessarily rejecting you as a

person; she is expressing her decision not to participate in a single act at

that time.

No one asks to be raped. No matter how a woman behaves she does not deserve

to have her body used in ways she does not want.

"No" means no. If you do not accept a woman's "no" you might risk raping

someone whom you thought meant yes."

Taking sexual advantage of a person who is mentally or physically incapable of

giving consent (for example drunk) is rape. If a woman has had too much to

drink and has passed out or is not in control of herself, having sex with

her is rape.

The fact that you were intoxicated is not legal defense to rape. You are

responsible for your actions whether you are sober or not.

Be aware that a man's size and physical presence can be intimidating to

women. Many victims report that the fear they felt based on the man's size

and presence was the reason why they did not fight back or struggle.

What Should You Do If Someone Tries to Force Sexual Activity on You?

Stay calm and think. Figure out what your options are and how safe it is to

resist.

Say "no" strongly. Do not smile; do not act friendly or polite.

Say something like "Stop-it. this is rape." This might shock the rapist

into stopping.

Assess the situation. Figure out how you can escape. Are there any other

people around?

Look for an escape route. If you can figure out a way to distract him you

may be able to escape.

Act quickly if possible. The longer you stay in the situation the fewer

your options.

Ask yourself if it is safe to resist. This is a critical question. Women who

fight back initially, who hit and scream, have a much higher chance of

avoiding the successful completion of an assault than women who plead or try

to talk their way out of the situation. Nevertheless resistance will depend -

on the main question: is he armed?

If the man is UNARMED, then you have many options including:

yell as loudly as you can from your diaphragm. Noise attracts attention

and can startle your attacker.

fight back physically - punch him in the Adam's apple, poke your finger

in his eye, hit him with a lamp or other item, or kick him. Fight so

that you can escape, attacking eyes, nose, throat, groin, yelling as

loud as you can. Resistance may discourage the attacker or convince him

that it is too much trouble to continue. Resist only as long as it is

safe to do so. If resistance is dangerous, stop.

passive strategies**

use intimidation (lie; tell him your male roommate is on the way home;

tell him you have an STD -- herpes, AIDS, etc).

try to talk him out of it -- try to appeal to his humanity, his sense of

decency.

gain his confidence so that he might let his guard down and you can

escape

try to get him to see you as an individual person. Make him aware of the

effect he is having on you. Tell him that he is hurting you.

pretend to faint, throw up, act crazy.

If the man is ARMED, then:

try to talk him out of it.

try passive strategies**

Passive strategies depend on the assailant's reaction; in active physical

resistance, you are disabling your attacker in order to escape.

Your options are obviously a lot more limited when the man is armed with a

weapon. In those situations you are taking your life in your hands if you

decide to fight back. It may be possible to run away, if he is distracted,

but only do this if you are reasonably sure you can get away.

remember: submitting to rape because it seems to be the only viable option

is a form of self-defense.