Drugs are used in date rape in many dangerous ways. For example, they can be mixed with alcoholic beverages, creating an “odorless and tasteless substance that is difficult to detect.” These drugs can strongly impair judgment, making people more susceptible to date rape. Some drugs might also be taken voluntarily because people do not know how powerful they are. These drugs lower inhibitions and abilities to defend one’s self properly, opening the door for date rape. Finally, any drug that can render a person unconscious, including alcohol, can be used as a “date rape drug.” These facts are compelling evidence that drugs can play a significant role in date rape.

Drugs, however, are not the only things that lead to date rape; emotional abuse can as well. Some people use “name calling, threats to break up, and threats to reputation” to force others into unwanted sex. Emotional attacks can make some people more willing to “give in” in order to stop the attacks. In this way, some people bully their way to getting sex with an unwilling partner. Even though a partner may “consent” under these conditions, sex obtained through emotional abuse should be considered a form of date rape.

Emotional abuse can be subtle and prolonged, but physical abuse is often direct and terrifying. In these cases, men can threaten or strike their victims until they become passive about sex; the victims may “give in” just to stop the violence. Most commonly, men hit their girlfriends or spouses when denied sexually, which leads directly to “date rape” or “spousal rape.” Sadly, this kind of rape often goes unreported because it is perceived as taking place in a moment of passion. It is, nonetheless, one of the more frightening forms of date rape.