Rape/Date Rape Rape is the act of sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent or with a minor. Generally, for the crime to constitute rape, the woman must resist, unless she is incapable of resistance because of mental or physical weakness or deterred from it by fear of bodily harm. A woman younger than a designated age, which varies in different states, is considered incapable of giving her consent . There are basically two kinds of rape, date rape and rape by an unknown person. Date rape is much more common, but the latter is the type of rape that most people associate with when they think of rape. Date rape typically occurs when a woman is alone with a man. Most cases happen when a woman and a man are alone at a house; or any other isolated place, for that matter. Sometimes parties are a prime place for rape , even if many people are present. For example, if the party is on the first floor, rape can occur in a bedroom upstairs or on another part of the house. Alcoho!
             l and drugs are a significant factor in date rape. On numerous occasions the victim has drunk too much, and she usually can't discern the situation and act logically. Or sometimes the victim has passed out and she is raped while she is unconscious. Mixed signals are another element in date rape. The woman acts in a friendly manner; the man interprets this friendliness as an invitation. "No" is heard as "maybe" and even a strong protest can be ignored under the misconception that women say "no" when they mean "yes." Many times the woman is afraid of saying "no" firmly because it would be considered impolite or it would hurt the man's feelings. She says it while she is smiling or laughing. This mixed message is especially common in cases of date rape. Rape is a felony, which makes it a very serious crime. Women can press criminal and/or civil charges against the man who raped them. In general rape is often difficult to prove. A weapon is rar...