University officials and law enforcement comments about date or acquaintance rape to the media are wrong. Official statements about the recent rape of a female University of Tampa student in her dorm on January 27th perpetuate rape myths, re-victimize rape victims and endanger students. Rape myths shift blame for rape to victims. Rape myths are ‘prejudicial, stereotyped, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists.’ (Burton 1980: 217). These myths ‘creat[e] a climate hostile to rape victims.’‘ (Id.) The Dean of Students stated in an interview with The Minaret that ‘he did not believe the university recognizes the event as rape because the student ‘freely allowed’ the man to come up to her room.’ (February 16, 2007).‘ The Dean of Students went on to say ‘[w]hen students become intoxicated, have difficulty remembering events and bring strangers back to their rooms, things can get out of hand.’ (February 16, 2007).‘ Regarding the lack of University notification, Grant Donaldson was quoted in the St. Petersburg Times as saying: ‘The question at first was: Is it date rape? We don’t go into a security alert for a date rape, that’s not called for.’ Donaldson explained further ‘This was a situation where the student had met this guy and invited him in that building. We wouldn’t have immediately informed the students of a situation like that.’ (February 18, 2007).‘ Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Laura McElroy’s statements to the St. Petersburg Times included: ‘It appeared to be a case of date rape at first, she said, because ‘she had willingly brought him back to her dorm.’ But after interviewing the victim and the witness the next day, detectives concluded it was a case of sexual battery.’ (February 17, 2007).‘

Several myths are reinforced by these comments. It is a myth that date rape is not sexual battery.‘ Nonconsensual sex is rape, and rape is an act of violence. (www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/myths.html). It is a myth that date rape is not as serious as stranger rape.‘ Rape victims experience physical as well as psychological consequences in the aftermath of rape. Some immediate reactions to rape include ‘revulsion, shock, anger, fury, self-recrimination, fear, sorrow and total disorientation.’ (Karmen 2007). Longer-term consequences include fear, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and difficulty with future relationships (Karmen 2007; Resick ‘amp; Nishith 1997).‘ Victims of date or acquaintance rape experience detrimental consequences, and some research has shown that victims of date or acquaintance rape experience more ‘self-blame’ which impedes recovery. (Resick ‘amp; Nishith 1997: 38).

It is a myth that a woman who ‘freely allows’ a man into her home, consented to sex.‘ By some estimates, seventy percent of rape victims know their attacker. (Id., Rennison 2002). It is a myth to suggest that being drunk or intoxicated means a woman is willing to engage in sexual activity or that rapists are not responsible for their actions. Intoxication or drinking alcohol ‘does not imply consent’ and can render a woman incapable of consent[ing]’ to sexual intercourse. (www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/myths.html).

Comments that support ‘victim-blaming’ reinforce these myths, re-victimize rape victims and provide students with a false sense of security, i.e., that they should only fear the ‘stranger that jumps from the bushes.’. These problems are particularly acute when University students adopt the myths reinforced by the administration and law enforcement. Examples include the University of Tampa student quoted in the St. Petersburg Times as stating: ‘It (stinks) that it happened, but she invited him into her room,’ and other students who stated that the ‘victim brought trouble on herself by drinking too much, leaving her friends and allowing a stranger into her room.’ (February 18, 2007).‘ When students fail to understand the danger posed to their safety from date and acquaintance rapists on campus, it puts students’ safety in jeopardy. An example of the underestimation of the risk is reflected by student Mann’s statement, which parallels the University’s perspective on date rape, that she thought there was ‘no reason to scare students if the crime doesn’t warrant the level of concern that, for instance, an outsider breaking into a dorm to rape students would’‘ (February 18, 2007).

It is a myth that rapists only rape one time, most are repeat offenders. (www.dumn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/myths.html). Rape can happen at anytime, rape victims usually know their offenders, and victims cannot tell someone is a rapist by their physical characteristics. Rapists may appear ‘friendly, normal and non-threatening’. (Id.) Underestimating the risk associated with date and acquaintance rape, and the reinforcement of myths to the contrary harm rape victims and put women on campus at risk.

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• For a list of additional rape myths, visit Dr. John Hamlin’s Internet site: www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/myths.html.
• If you have been the victim of rape and are in need of counseling services, you can contact the Hillsborough County Rape Crisis Center in Tampa. It is located at 1 Crisis Center Plaza, Tampa, FL 33602. The telephone number is 813-234-1234. You can also contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Inc located at One Crisis Center Plaza, Tampa, FL 33613, 813-964-1964. APPLE Services, a counseling service is also available at 813-264-9955 or you can call 2-1-1 for assistance and information.

Alisa Smith, JD, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Criminology

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