Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic A Word of Warning

As many of you know, I work in the retail sector, in the middle of a shopping mall. My store caters to almost every age group, and I have a lot of contact with teenagers - I have one of my own and a preteen as well.

Today, I heard a heartbreaking story. A teenager of my acquaintance - thank God, not my daughter - was at a party, had a soft drink and the next thing she knew, it was the next morning. She'd been drugged with Rohypnol and sexually assaulted.

Physically, she'll be fine, we hope - she's waiting for the results of medical tests to make sure she didn't contract a sexually transmitted disease - but emotionally, she's a wreck. She said the worst part was that she didn't know what had been done to her or by whom. It might have been one guy, or it might have been 4 guys. She has no way of knowing.

So, my word of advice is to be careful at parties. Don't put your drink down, open your own drinks, toss it out if in doubt and keep track of your friends and have them keep track of you.

I've read about this "date rape" drug many times, but this is the first time I've known someone it's happened to, so it's really hit home.

My heart aches for this young woman who I know very well, and who I am very fond of. I wish that I could help her, but I cannot. I'm not her mother or a counsellor or a cop.

I don't like feeling helpless, so I decided the least I could do was post a warning. BTW, this warning applies to the men who read these boards too. I've read about men being victimized this way as well.

Be careful always! Unfortunately, the world can be a scary place sometimes.

Irene

Irene,

My sister was raped in the same way. Actually, she was my inspiration for my story 'A Nightmare Come True'. She had met a guy at the Flats, a seedy nightclub district in Cleveland, and he gave her a drink with an open top. She woke up the next morning in bed with him without her pants on.

She had no idea she had been raped, and no idea she how she had ended up in his bed. She thought since he was dressed, nothing had happened -- until a few weeks later when she got really sick, adn they found out that she had a STD -- thank goodness it was bacterial and easily treatable, but it kills me to wonder it could have been.

That is kind of the PG13 version of the story. It is a bit longer, but i will spare the gory details. She is still very mentally distraught over the whole issue (she had been a virgin before this had all happened), and even a few years later, she is still really feeling the scars.

So, please, everyone,be careful! NEVER take a drink without a top from anyone, and always make sure you know where your drink is.

We learned in sociology class that almost everyone in the class either had been raped by an acquaintence themselves or had a family member/close friend who had been.

- Laura