Drink spiking
alcohol; attacker; amnesia; assault; date; drink; drunk; drug; intoxicated; memory; perpetrators; police; rape; safe; sexual; spiked; spiked drinks; date rape; abuse ;
Contents
In recent years, there has been an increased use of drugs in sexual assault. Drugs can be added to people's drinks without their knowledge, and then sexual assault attempted while the person is under the influence of the drug. Alcohol has always been used in this way, and now other drugs are being used as well.
How often does this happen?
Some research suggests that up to 25% of women have been sexually assaulted at some time.
- Many of these assaults have occurred when the women were young and affected by alcohol or other drugs, including situations when their drink might have been 'spiked' (another drug added without their knowledge).
- Most of these assaults were by people they knew, and some by people they trusted.
Many young women and men who are sexually assaulted while they have been affected by drugs do not report that they have been assaulted, sometimes because:
- they fear what else could be done to them
- they know and had trusted the person who assaulted them
- they think that they will not be believed
- they don't really know what happened because their drink was spiked with a drug or alcohol
- they feel that it must have been their fault.
Even if there is a close and caring relationship with their parents or other family members, many young people will not tell them because:
- they feel guilty, as if they were responsible
- they believe (probably rightly) that their parents will be extremely distressed and angry with the person who assaulted their son or daughter, and this will cause more problems.
Note: This topic is about how parents can help their family members to avoid this experience, and how to help them if this sort of assault has happened. There is also a topic on the Teen Health part of this site about 'Spiking drinks'.
The effects of the drugs that are used.
The common drugs used in sexual assault crimes have similar effects.
- They cause drowsiness - it can look like the person is very drunk.
- They can cause the victim to be less able to fend off any unwanted advances.
- They can even make it seem as though the victim is consenting, i.e. allowing the sexual advances of their attacker.
Alcohol alone can cause the victim to be less able to protect herself or himself, but other drugs in their drink can make this worse.
- Drinks without any alcohol in them can also be spiked.
- The first signs can be that the person looks 'drunk', even if they have had no alcohol, or a little alcohol.
- Many of the drugs used have an effect within 15 to 30 minutes, which is quicker than alcohol usually takes to affect someone.
Most drugs take around 72 hours to be flushed out of the body.
- After this time there is little if any trace of the drug in the victim's body. This makes it hard to prove that drugs were used in the assault.
- Also, the type of drug needs to be known, because there is no blood test which detects all drugs.
- As these types of drugs cause amnesia (a loss of memory), it is hard to verify what has actually occurred, making it hard to prosecute the abuser.
The next two sections include information that parents can share with young people to help for them to avoid or manage a sexual assault.
It is important to stress that the person who spikes drinks and attempts to sexually assault someone is the one responsible for this crime, not the victim.
With these crimes mostly happening in local clubs and bars, there are some things that can be done by young people to help keep safe.
- Do not accept drinks from someone you do not trust. Even keep an eye on those you know, as the majority of rapes are carried out by people the victim knows.
- If you have been given a drink in a can or bottle, make sure it is one that hasn't been opened.
- Do not leave your drink unattended, even for a trip to the toilet. Finish it before you go, or don't drink any more when you come back - discard it to prevent someone else drinking it.
- If someone is buying you a drink, go to the bar and watch it being poured.
- Do not drink from a communal drink, like a punch bowl, or a container that is being passed around.
- If you think your drink tastes funny or looks unusual, discard it. If you leave it lying around, someone else may drink it. Don't fall for lines like, "Oh that salty taste is just because it's an energy drink". Some drugs have a salty taste, others leave a residue at the bottom of the glass.
- Try to limit how much alcohol you drink, and be wary of strangers (or friends) who are keen to buy you lots of drinks.
- Have a designated sober person. He or she could be the the driver, and could tell if others are acting strangely and offer help to them.
What to do if you suspect someone's drink might have been spiked
If someone feels drunk but has had very little to drink, or has not knowingly had any alcohol - their drink may have been spiked.
- Tell someone you trust straight away that you think this might have happened.
- Call the police.
- Get to a safe place, but do not try to drive, nor permit any person who may have had a drink spiked to drive.
- Get friends to take you to the hospital if you feel unwell. The sooner doctors can see the victim, the better the chance they will have of finding out what has been given, and treating the effects.
- People react differently to drugs. The effect is dependant on age, weight and other factors - such as whether the person has also been drinking alcohol. If in doubt, go and see a doctor.
- If you wake up in a strange place and cannot remember what has happened, contact the police as soon as you are somewhere you feel safe.
- This is just the sort of thing to ring a Police Sexual Assault Section or Sexual Crime Investigation Branch, or Rape and Sexual Assault Service about. The staff at these centres are specially trained to be supportive.
- You can ring them even if you don't know whether you have been sexually assaulted. They will help you make sense of what has happened.
- The numbers to ring in South Australia are listed below.
- Ring the emergency number (000 in Australia) if you don't know who else to call. This is an emergency for the young person.
- You may or may not be able to tell if you have been sexually assaulted, because the drug may have affected your memory.
- Go to a Rape and Sexual Assault Service, a Hospital service or your local doctor to have an examination.
- Doctors are trained to examine people who have been or may have been sexually assaulted, and they can take samples which may be useful as evidence.
- It may be a hard thing to do after such an experience, but try not to wash yourself or your clothes. You may wash away some physical evidence.
What can a parent or other family member do?
- This is a very difficult time for everyone. Parents or other family members may be extremely angry. But remember the most important thing is that your daughter or son needs your support.
- As difficult as it might be to accept, sometimes a young person in this situation may prefer to talk in detail to a best friend rather than a mother or father. The anger or distress of their parents may be too scary. Sometimes they feel too ashamed.
- Right from the start, parents need to believe in their daughter or son. It is rare that anyone 'makes up' such a story. More young people are harmed by not being believed than found out later to have falsified what happened.
- Remember that about 80% of people who are sexually assaulted have been assaulted by someone they know, sometimes a family member. This can make it even harder to know what to do.
- Contact a Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (see below), to get advice about what to do. They will be able to help your daughter or son in the best way, and they will also be able to help you know what to do next.
- Blood tests to tell what drug has been given need to be taken as early as possible as well as other tests which may help prove the assault.
- While there are things that need to be done quickly, working through emotionally what has happened will take a lot of time.
- Seek support for your own grief and anger as well as support for your son or daughter.
- A counsellor may be very helpful, or the support of a trusted friend.
- While this may seem like a stereotype, often fathers do not have friends they can talk with, and may need a lot of encouragement to go to a counselling service.
- After an awful event such as this, you may want to keep your young person at home to keep them safe, but they have to be able to go out into the world again in a safe way in order to recover. Plan with them how to have fun and contact with trusted friends again.
- It seems likely that young people progress back towards trusting friends and other people more smoothly if they go out to places that they like with their friends again.
Further reading
Yarrow Place - an excellent source of information about sexual assault, safety and resources, South Australian Government. Click here
Resources in South Australia
- The Second Story Youth Health Service
Central: 57 Hyde St, Adelaide
South: 50a Beach Rd, Christies Beach
North: 6 Gillingham Rd, Elizabeth
West: 51 Bower St, Woodville
http://www.cyh.com/SubContent.aspx?p=188
- Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19,
http://www.cyh.com/SubContent.aspx?p=187
- The Parent Helpline - 1300 364 100
- Yarrow Place - for 16 year olds and over.
55 King William Road, North Adelaide 5006
Tel: (08) 8226-8777
Fax: (08) 8226-8778
Toll Free: 1800-817-421
After Hours: (08) 8226-8787
http://www.yarrowplace.sa.gov.au/
- If your young person is under 16 he or she can receive counselling and/or medical support from the Child Protection Unit at the Women and Children's Hospital (Tel: 8161-7346), or at Flinders Medical Centre (Tel: 8204-5485).
- In South Australia there is a Sexual Crime Investigation Branch of the police who are specially trained to assist victims of rape, incest, child sexual abuse, and other serious sexual assaults. The Sexual Crime Investigation Branch can be contacted on 13 14 44 - open all hours.
- Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (education, clinics)
http://www.dassa.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm
- ADIS- Alcohol and Drug Information Service
- Tel:1300 131 340 all hours every day
Related topics
Our Teen Health site has a topic on 'Spiking drinks', while the Young Adult site has a 'Drink spiking' topic and other topics ones on specific drugs that may be involved in drink spiking.
ADIN (Australian Drug Information Network)
www.adin.com.au
Gorin. T. (2000). 'Rohypnol: How the Hype Tricks Women: A Rape Crisis Centre View'. Canadian Women Studies.
MayoClinic.com. 'Date-rape drugs: keep an eye on that drink'.
www.mayoclinic.com/
National Women's Health Information Centre. 'Date Rape Drugs (Rohypnol)'. The Office of Women's Health, US Department of Health and Human Services.
Rape Treatment Center Santa Monica. 'Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault'. UCLA Medical Center.
http://www.911rape.org/drug-facilitated-sexual-assault-dfsa/overview
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.