Rape Research After scene 2, in Paulson‘s Tavern, Tara is left behind whilst it empties out. This is the perfect setting for Danni to tranquilise her with a date rape drug. This is quite a strong subject, and I felt like the whole group should put more research and get a greater understanding, so we know how to deal with the situation and portray it through our performance. Personally, I have never known anyone who has experienced this situation before, so to ensure that I would create a believable performance and reaction, I needed to get a greater understanding and look at interviews, dramas and information about date rape and the affect it has on people‘s lives. BBC Health – Rohypnol http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/rohypnol.shtml What is Rohypnol? Rohypnol is the brand name of a medicine called flunitrazepam, and is one of the benzodiazepine class of sedative or tranquilizer drugs, of which ‗Valium‘ or diazepam is perhaps the best known. Rohypnol or flunitrazepam is 10 times more potent than diazepam. In the UK the drug is no longer used in the NHS but may be available on private prescription for those who need it (although it‘s generally felt that there are better alternatives). Its legal status in the UK is a class C drug, which means that it‘s illegal to possess flunitrazepam without a prescription. It‘s not legally available in the US, but as it is still made in some countries an illegal trade continues. Rohypnol rose to prominence as the date rape drug because it was colourless, odourless, tasteless and easily dissolved - ideal for spiking drinks undetected - and causes sedation or euphoria in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Several cases report the drug being given to women without their consent in order to remove their inhibitions. However, Roche, the company that originally manufactured the drug, revised the formula to make it slower to dissolve and added a dye that turned it blue when mixed in a drink, so making it easier to detect. However, counterfeit versions of the drug are now in circulation which don‘t have these added features. Why is Rohypnol used? The drug has a number of legal and illegal uses. It‘s still used as a medical treatment in some European countries and Latin America for the management of anxiety and sleep disorders, although the recommendations are usually that it‘s only a short term measure. It‘s also used illicitly by ravers who take it because of its euphoric and relaxing effects. The effects last for about eight hours but it can take over 24 hours for its ‗hangover‘ effect to disappear. Street names for Rohypnol include rophies, ropies, ruffies, roofies, roche, R-2, mexican valium, rib, and rope. Users report mixing it with beer to enhance the feeling of drunkenness, and it has been reported to be used in combination with marijuana and cocaine, as well as heroin. It may also be used to ease the come down from a cocaine or crack binge. However, it‘s the drug's more sinister use in date rape cases that has led to its notoriety. The drug can interfere with memory and there has been concern that people given spiked drinks then have little memory of what happened afterwards. Although it has been implicated in several date rape cases in the US, there is no confirmed case of it being used in sexual assault in the UK and it‘s not clear exactly how widespread it‘s misuse is. What are the risks from Rohypnol? Like any medicine, flunitrazepam or Rohypnol can cause side effects even when used appropriately. These include drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech and weakness. When combined with alcohol, Rohypnol is more likely to cause problems and can make users shed their inhibitions. They can also suffer from loss of memory. It has been labelled the date rapist's drug of choice although the extent of its misuse this way isn‘t clear. Amnesia can set in within a short time of ingesting the drug, and the disinhibiting effects kick in soon after. Someone who has taken the drug unwittingly is unlikely to remember what happened while they were under the influence. If there is concern that a person may have been unwittingly given flunitrazepam, a urine test can be carried out specifically for the drug, but this needs to be done within 72 hours of the assault to successfully detect traces of flunitrazepam. There are reports that other drugs, such as gamma-hydroxybutryate (GHB) may be used to incapacitate victims in order to sexually abuse them, but alcohol remains the substance most frequently associated with substance-assisted sexual assault. Rohypnol safety advice The best advice to avoid being spiked is to trust no one. If you are worried, never accept any opened drink, particularly not from a stranger. Tamper-proof bottles or cans are recommended. They shouldn‘t be opened by someone else. The information from the BBC Health webpage has given me an insight into the drug, Rohypnol, and the effects it has on people. Most importantly, it is colourless, odourless and tasteless, which makes it perfect to use on a victim. They then would not be able to remember the events that took place, which makes it the scariest aspect of them all. I felt as though I needed to know more about the actual effects it has on women and their personal experiences with it. ‘Date Rape Drugs, A Personal Story’ Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHWNQOgUH5o Whilst researching, I came across a very useful, informative video about date rape and an account of victim‘s experiences. This allowed me to look at their emotions whilst they were speaking, as well as hear everything about it. This lady gave an account of her experience and what happened: ―I was raped. It was by someone that I knew and that I trusted. He offered me a drink and I accepted. I don‘t think that I had even half the drink and I was in the bathroom throwing up. Everything from there on out is pretty vague. I can remember laying on the bed and him trying to kiss me with me saying no. And then waking up the next day with different clothes on and wondering what I was doing in his bed. I got up. I was in a hurry to get to work. I splashed water on my face. I can remember looking in the mirror and realising something was terribly wrong. I hurried up and got out of the house. That was it. I had no recollection. About an hour later I went to a pay phone to call my sister. I was hysterical. I tried to explain to her what had happened but how could I explain something that I didn‘t even know? We finally pieced it together and realised that I was raped. She tried to get me to go to the police, but I refused. It sounded crazy to me and there was no way that I was going to talk about it to anyone else. I regret that decision.‖ There are similarities to our play in the sense that the lady had no recollection of the event and it took her a while to believe what had happened. Similarly to the character of Tara, the lady did not want to go to the police but had support from her sister. This must be a common aspect throughout similar scenarios, as victims feel weak, abused, dirty and have a massive lack in confidence, which means that they need support from the people surrounding. My character, Ash, tries really hard to help her out and be with her to make the rapist get their comeuppance because she doesn‘t go to the police. I think watching this video made me feel more emotional and sympathetic towards the victim, which is something that I can put into my character. The similarities run through all accounts of rape to our play, in the sense that the victims do not want help, are confused and don‘t remember what happened. Understanding how they feel has given me a greater understanding of how to portray my role. ‘Lesbian-on-Lesbian Rape’ A News Article Written by Victoria A. Brownworth http://www.curvemag.com/Curve-Magazine/Web-Articles-2010/Lesbian-on-Lesbian-Rape/ Rape. For most women, it‘s one of the scariest words in any language. When your mother warned, ―You could be murdered, or worse,‖ rape was the unspoken ―worse.‖ The statistics on rape certainly accentuate that ―worse‖ aspect of the crime. According to the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice, three-quarters of all rape victims require medical care after the assault. Nearly half of victims sustain injuries that are not a direct result of the act of rape itself. In 30 percent of rapes, a weapon is used against the victim. The DoJ and the FBI cite rape as the most common violent crime (a woman is raped every two minutes in the U.S.) and the most recidivist (the majority of rapists re-offend within three years). In addition, more than half of all rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. A quarter of all rapes are committed by an intimate partner of the victim. The FBI estimates that only 37 percent of all rapes are reported to the police. The main reason given by victims for not filing a police report is reprisal from the assailant. The October 2009 Annual Crime Statistics report from the FBI noted that reported rapes were at a 20-year low.