What is Date Rape?

What Is Date Rape?

When people think of rape, they might think of a stranger jumping out of a shadowy place and sexually attacking someone. But it's not only strangers who rape. In fact, about half of all people who are raped know the person who attacked them. Girls and women are most often raped, but guys also can be raped.

Most friendships, acquaintances, and dates never lead to violence, of course. But, sadly, sometimes it happens. When forced sex occurs between two people who already know each other, it is known as date rape or acquaintance rape.

Even if the two people know each other well, and even if they were intimate or had sex before, no one has the right to force a sexual act on another person against his or her will.

Although it involves forced sex, rape is not about sex or passion. Rape has nothing to do with love. Rape is an act of aggression and violence.

You may hear some people say that those who have been raped were somehow "asking for it" because of the clothes they wore or the way they acted. That's wrong: The person who is raped is not to blame. Rape is always the fault of the rapist. And that's also the case when two people are dating — or even in an intimate relationship. One person never owes the other person sex. If sex is forced against someone's will, that's rape.

Healthy relationships involve respect — including respect for the feelings of others. Someone who really cares about you will respect your wishes and not force or pressure you to have sex.

The Importance of Talking - LGBT

The Importance of Talking

For people of all sexual orientations, learning about sex and relationships can be difficult. It can help to talk to someone about the confusing feelings that go with growing up — whether that someone is a parent or other family member, a close friend or sibling, or a school counselor.

It's not always easy to find somebody to talk to. But many people find that confiding in someone they trust (even if they're not completely sure how that person will react) turns out to be a positive experience.

In many communities, youth groups can provide opportunities for LGBT teens to talk to others who are facing similar issues. Psychologists, psychiatrists, family doctors, and trained counselors can help them cope — confidentially and privately — with the difficult feelings that go with their developing sexuality. They also help people find ways to deal with any peer pressure, harassment, and bullying they might face.

Whether gay, straight, bisexual, or just not sure, almost everyone has questions about physically maturing and about sexual health — like if certain body changes are "normal," what's the right way to behave, or how to avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It's important to find a doctor, nurse, counselor, or other knowledgeable adult to be able to discuss these issues with.

Beliefs Are Changing

In the United States, and throughout much of the world, attitudes about sexual orientation have been changing. Being gay, for example, is getting to be less of a "big deal" than it used to be. Although not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sexual orientation differences, a Human Rights Campaign survey found that most LGBT teens are optimistic about the future.

LGBT Teens

What's It Like for LGBT Teens?

For many LGBT people, it can feel like everyone is expected to be straight. Because of this, some gay and lesbian teens may feel different from their friends when the heterosexual people around them start talking about romantic feelings, dating, and sex.

A 2012 survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that 92% of LGBT teens had heard negative things about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

LGBT teens might feel like they have to pretend to feel things that they don't in order to fit in with their group, family, or community. They might feel they need to deny who they are or that they have to hide an important part of themselves.

Fears of prejudice, rejection, or bullying can lead people who aren't straight to keep their sexual orientation secret, even from friends and family who might support them.

Some gay or lesbian teens tell a few close friends and family members about their sexual orientation. This is often called "coming out." Many LGBT teens who come out are fully accepted by friends, families, and their communities. They feel comfortable about being attracted to someone of the same gender.

But not everyone has the same good support systems. Even though there is growing acceptance for LGBT people, many teens don't have adults they can talk to about sexual orientation. Some live in communities or families where being gay is not accepted or respected.

People who feel they need to hide who they are or who fear discrimination or violence can be at greater risk for emotional problems like anxiety and depression. Some LGBT teens without support systems can be at higher risk for dropping out of school, living on the streets, using alcohol and drugs, and trying to harm themselves.

Everyone has times when they worry about things like school, college, sports, or friends and fitting in. In addition to these common worries, LGBT teens have an extra layer of things to think about, like whether they have to hide who they are.

This doesn't happen to all gay teens, of course. Many gay and lesbian teens and their families have no more difficulties than anyone else.

What is LGBT ?

What Is LGBT?

You may see the letters "LGBT" or ("LGBTQ") used to describe sexual orientation. This abbreviation stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" (or "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning").

Transgender isn't really a sexual orientation — it's a gender identity. Gender is another word for male or female. Transgender people may have the body of one gender, but feel that they are the opposite gender, like they were born into the wrong type of body.

People who are transgender are often grouped in with lesbian and gay as a way to include people who don't feel they fit into the category of being "straight."

Do People Choose Their Sexual Orientation?

Why are some people straight and some people gay? There is no simple answer to that. Most medical experts, including those at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA), believe that sexual orientation involves a complex mix of biology, psychology, and environmental factors. Scientists also believe a person's genes and inborn hormonal factors play an important role.

Most medical experts believe that, in general, sexual orientation is not something that a person voluntarily chooses. Instead, sexual orientation is just a natural part of who a person is.

There's nothing wrong about being LGBT. Still, not everyone believes that. These kinds of beliefs can make things difficult for LGBT teens.

Sexual Orientation

As people pass from childhood through the teen years and beyond, bodies develop and change. So do emotions and feelings.

Adolescence Is a Time of Change

During the teen years, the hormonal and physical changes of puberty lead to an awakening of sexual feelings. It's common to wonder and sometimes worry about new sexual feelings.

It takes time for many people to understand who they are and who they're becoming. Part of that involves having a greater understanding of their own sexual feelings and who they are attracted to.

What Is Sexual Orientation?

Sexual orientation is the emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person. There are several types of sexual orientation. For example:

• Heterosexual. People who are heterosexual are romantically and physically attracted to members of the opposite sex: Heterosexual males are attracted to females, and heterosexual females are attracted to males. Heterosexuals are sometimes called "straight."
• Homosexual. People who are homosexual are romantically and physically attracted to people of the same sex: Females who are attracted to other females are lesbian; males who are attracted to other males are often known as gay. (The term gay is sometimes used to describe homosexual individuals of either sex.)
• Bisexual. People who are bisexual are romantically and physically attracted to members of both sexes.

People who don't feel any sexual attraction and are not interested in sex at all are sometimes referred to as asexual. People who are asexual may not be interested in sex, but they still feel emotionally close to other people.

During the teen years, people often find themselves having sexual thoughts and attractions. For some, these feelings and thoughts can be intense — and seem confusing. That can be especially true for people who have romantic or sexual thoughts about someone who is the same sex they are. "What does that mean," they might think. "Am I gay?"

Being interested in someone of the same sex does not necessarily mean that a person is gay — just as being interested in someone of the opposite sex doesn't mean a person is straight. It's common for teens to be attracted to or have sexual thoughts about people of the same sex and the opposite sex. It's one way of sorting through emerging sexual feelings.

Some people might go beyond just thinking about it and experiment with sexual experiences with people of their own sex or of the opposite sex. These experiences, by themselves, do not necessarily mean that a person is gay or straight.

Outside Pressures on the Relationship

Differences in Background.

Even partners coming from very similar cultural, religious, or economic backgrounds can benefit from discussing their expectations of how a good boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse behaves. What seems obvious or normal to you may surprise your partner, and vice versa. 

If you are from different backgrounds, be aware that you may need to spend more time and energy to build your relationship. Take the time to learn about your partner's culture or religion, being careful to check out what parts of such information actually fit for your partner.

Time Together and Apart. 

How much time you spend together and apart is a common relationship concern. If you interpret your partner's time apart from you as, "he or she doesn't care for me as much as I care for him or her," you may be headed for trouble by jumping to conclusions. 

Check out with your partner what time alone means to him or her, and share your feelings about what you need from the relationship in terms of time together. Demanding what you want, regardless of your partner's needs, usually ends up driving your partner away, so work on reaching a compromise.

Your Partner's Family. 

For many students, families remain an important source of emotional, if not financial, support during their years at the university. Some people find dealing with their partner's family difficult or frustrating. It can help to take a step back and think about parental good intentions. 

Families may offer well-intentioned advice about your relationship or your partner. It's important that the two of you discuss and agree on how you want to respond to differing family values and support one another in the face of what can be very intense "suggestions" from family.

Friends. 

There are some people who seem to believe that "I have to give up all my friends unless my partner likes them as much as I do." Giving up friends is not healthy for you or the relationship, except in circumstances where your friends pressure you to participate in activities that are damaging to yourself and the relationship. At the same time, keep in mind that your partner may not enjoy your friends as much as you do. 

Negotiate which friends you and your partner spend time with together. You might ask: "Which of my friends do you enjoy seeing and which ones would you rather I see alone or at other times when I'm not with you?"

Secrets to Texting a Guy



Initiate!

Waiting around for a guy to make the 1st shift can get very irritating! Bear in mind he could be as apprehensive as you about the entire flirting thing. So, do the unpredicted by initiating the conversation. Ship him a informal text message which does not automatically need a response. It could be a joke or a amusing quote or one thing of the type. This will support you to determine out if he’s actually intrigued or not. If he’s interested, he will surely reply.

Be Nice!

Consider your time to react to his texts (but not so long that he commences to wonder what you truly want from him). Following you get through the original enjoyment, compliment him on anything that you noticed earlier in the day. Yes, this basic way of boosting his ego can get the job done miracles.

Hold it Limited and Sweet!

Make certain your text messages are straightforward, neat and to the level (except when an elaborate reply is necessary). He’ll possibly not trouble examining a 4 screen text if all he asked you was, “What are you carrying out?” He won’t read the total text and will most possibly think two times ahead of texting you again!

Concentration!

How you in fact compose a text concept to flirt with a guy is extremely essential. Form a text which is grammatically correct. Agreed you’re through the moon that he’s responding the way (or probably superior) than you expected. But that does NOT suggest you forget your standard language. Read through the total text after typing it and include emoticons meaning unique things like [ ] [ ] [ :O ] to maintain the mood going. Don’t overuse the emoticons. You could just set him off!

Do your Homework!

One of the most fundamental policies when it will come to flirting with a guy, whether or not it is more than text messages or even normally, is making certain you know items about him like what his likes and dislikes are. Speak about anything you know that he likes. For occasion, if he likes trekking, notify him about a amusing matter that took place when you went trekking.

A guy who enjoys trekking will recognize that a girl can delight in some thing as considerably as he can. It will lay the groundwork for foreseeable future conversations. All over again, test as considerably as you can not to be pretentious. He’ll know if you’re bluffing and that will switch out to be truly awkward!

Perform Him!

The moment you have a recurrent texting pattern (yes, if he likes you, you will have just one), you can get started giving him subtle hints by sending him flirty text messages. There are a lot of flirty text messages floating all all-around, so just take your decide on! If you want to play secure, you can send out him a cheesy pick up line, entirely out of the blue, just to gauge his reaction. If he responds with flirting messages of his very own, yayee!!!