Young Men Targeted in Hampshire Anti-Rape Campaign
Posted on December 17, 2009
Filed Under General News
Did you know that most reported rapes involve two people who know each other? A new hard-hitting anti-rape campaign warning young men about the dangers of crossing the line when it comes to sex has been launched in time for the party season by Hampshire Constabulary.
The Don’t Cross the Line campaign (www.dontcrosstheline.co.uk) is primarily targeted at 16 – 24 year old guys who make up the majority of offenders of ‘acquaintance’ rape in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Featuring an interactive role playing game, Seal the Deal takes users on a typical night out to test their ‘pulling power’ with the ladies, where they choose the direction the evening takes them.
The game is designed to be hard-hitting and encourages the target audience to make sure they know where the line is to prevent committing a serious criminal offence.
The campaign launch coincides with the prime festive party season, as more people are out drinking large amounts of alcohol and leaving themselves vulnerable.
Detective Inspector Tara Williams said: “When it comes to sex the law is clear; if you have sex without consent you’re committing rape. It’s that simple. No pressure, no forcing and no expectations. Alcohol is not an excuse to force or pressure someone for sex. We are wholly committed to utilising all of our resources to fully support victims, investigate these offences and bring offenders to justice.”
Terri Clarke, Corporate Communications Officer at Hampshire Constabulary comments: “A lot of people associate the word rape with violent strangers, however an alarming number of rapes in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are carried out by someone the victim already knew, or had met that evening. The Don’t Cross the Line campaign aims to reduce incidents of rape by ensuring that men understand the need to gain active consent before they have sex, regardless of how well they think they know someone.
“Previous national and local campaigns have focused on women’s behaviour and often warn of the risks of rape for women who drink too much. We’ve changed tack and rather than place the onus on women, we’ve taken the unique approach of focusing on young men. We want people to consider their actions and know exactly where the line is.”
Did you know?
- The majority of rapists are young men aged 16 – 24.
- The majority of victims are young women aged 16 – 24.
- 48% of rapes are classified as acquaintance.
- The majority of reported acquaintance rapes take place over the weekend.
- Most rapes don’t take place in dark, secluded areas. 75% actually occur in private premises, such as the victim or rapist’s own home.
- A person doesn’t have to say ‘no’ to show they don’t consent. A rape victim will often go into shock or be unable to speak through fear during an attack. This will be taken into account by the police.
These figures have been released by Hampshire Constabulary to raise awareness and knowledge of the real picture of rape and are unable to be broken down by geographical region at this time (from 1 Oct 2008 – 30 Sept 2009).
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