YOUNGSTOWN Date rape is topic of talk

Local teens discuss prevention tips at teen-dating violence program.
By ROSA MERCADO
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Shawntaya Figueroa came to the McGuffey Centre with a case of summer boredom. She left with a better understanding of how to prevent date rape.
The 15-year-old The Rayen School student was one of a dozen teens who talked at a teen dating-violence program about ways to prevent sexual assault.
"I came because they were talking about HIV and there's never too much stuff to learn, plus I didn't have anything else to do," Figueroa said. She also thinks it's important for other teens to learn about date rape.
"There's a lot going on now and I feel that people should come and learn about it because I never thought I would learn something, and now I know," Figueroa said.
The program's speaker, Youngstown police Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin Casey, said unconscious choices can make you a target for a rapist.
"Maybe not paying attention to the way you dress, not paying attention to leaving your drinks, and not having good judgment about the people you date," Casey said. She stressed that clothing is not an excuse for rape, and she explained that date rape also is called acquaintance rape because the crime is committed by someone the victim knows.
File a report
Casey added that rape victims should file a police report when assaulted. If the attacker rapes again, the police will have that report, which can aid in prosecution.
"I think that there has to be more education to victims on what to expect from the legal system," Casey said. "Even being a person in the legal system, there are things that I still learn every time I go to court."
Although Youngstown's rape statistics are average compared with other U.S. cities, the number of acquaintance rapes here has risen in the past year.
"I think the key issue is to teach people before it happens," Casey said. She urged the teens to watch for warning signs, such as verbal abuse, possessiveness, and coercive behavior in dating situations.
The date-rape program was part of a six-session series designed for minority teens that covered topics such as school and domestic violence and physical abuse.
It was presented by the Red Ribbons Program of the Associated Neighborhood Centers and funded by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health.
XFor more information on youth programs at the McGuffey Centre, call (330) 744-4377.