There are several types of rape. One common factor with each type or rape that occurs is that you have been forced to have sex. Understanding these differences will be helpful in obtaining the right type of help for you.

1) Child molesting.

This is when a child have been abused, often starting at a very young age. It most often happens with a member or friend of the family. They have been a part of your life and the initial bond is there. When this person commits this act, that bond is broken and confusion sets in. Often, the child will regress or dream it away. They may have been threatened but most often with a young child, they are told by their molester, "This will be our little secret."

What to do!
If this is happening to you, it needs to stop now! You have options. I know you are scared. Every child in your position is just as scared as you are. Who in your life can you trust? Is there anyone you can turn to? Never think there is no hope for you. Suggestions include telling the police, a parent, your school guidance counselor, a pastor, rabbi, or someone along that line. Make sure the one you tell will stand by you and help you through this. The person who did this to you must be stopped. Facts will show that what they did to you is most often what happened to them in their childhood.

2) Raped as a teen by an adult.

Often, this happens in much the same way as a child being molested. Often, it is a family member, friends of the family or neighbor. It may also be a trusted figure such as a scout leader, pastor, teacher, parent, sibling, or step parent. This is a traumatic event and often leads to mistrust as well as rebellious acts in the future. Rebellious acts can include drugs, uncontrolled drinking, open casual sex, shop lifting or other crimes against society.

What to do!
If you are or have been raped, report it right away. Do not shower, change clothes or remove anything from the scene of the crime (this is if the rape takes places in your own home). With family members or friends, it does happen in your own home, where you thought you were safe. Reporting this takes courage and is one of the most scary things you will ever do. The result of not reporting this can be that will can and most likely will happen again, often by the same person. If you tell a parent and they refuse to face the issue, you must go to the police. The person who did this to you must be stopped.

3) Date rape.

The title says it all. This is all too common in the teenage would for as long as teens have been dating. Steps, like sex education in the school system can help to educated teens but only if presented properly. Teen boys and teen girls view sex in very different ways. Teen boys afe often taught by piers that all girls want to have sex and it is their job to convince their date of that. More often than not, a young man will make an advance and a sudden slap will be enough to back them off. Yet, every so often, a young man will not want to take no for an answer and, if they can over power their date, the rape will occur.

What to do!
This is one of the most least reported rapes (with the exception of family or friends of the family rape). Many young women come home from such a date confused, thinking they must have given a signal that it was alright for their date to have sex with them. The simple truth is that if you did not want to have sex and clearly said "No", you were raped. If you do not report it, they will do it again and again on other dates.
Follow the guidelines on the Teen Prevention page. Do not shower, change clothes or do anything that will remove evidence that will be helpful to stopping your attacker. Tell your parents (if you can). If they refuse to help you acknowledge what happened to you, go directly to the police. Remember. This is one of the least reported crimes and one of the most horrible crimes on the face of the earth.

Tips on how to avoid date rape!
One of the most important things you can do is to have your date meet your parents. Always have them pick you up at the house. Invite them in to meet your parents. Sounds old fashion? How likely is your date to try to take aggressive advantage of you if they have met your parents? Yes, a determined date may still try but most be think twice just because they met your dad!

When dating, go as a group. Unless you really know your date very well, never assume you will be safe. Get to know your date very well. Let them know of your thoughts and intentions from the start. No means no and you have the right to say no anytime.

Take some self defense classes. Prepare yourself before you need to. Many girls and women will take classes after the fact. This is good but doing so before it happens gives you a better chance of standing off your attacker.

NOTE: Sometimes, even with self defense, you can be over powered. Do what you think is right but also avoid getting hurt if you think or know fighting off your attacker will only make matters worse. Just because you choose not to fight or stop fighting does not mean that you agreed to go through with this. You were raped, period! It is not your fault.

4) Raped at work or school. (camp, church, etc.)

You are or have been working or going to school for some period of time and feel safe there. Then, one day everything changes. You find yourself alone with this person and they take advantage of you. You may have been in this situation many times in the past with this person but all of a sudden, it is different. In an instant, your life can change. Learn the warning signs. Watch their actions and reactions. Be aware of what they say to you at all times. If it does not feel right, do not allow yourself to be in that situation anymore.

What to do!
Go to the hospital at once. Do not go home, shower, change, etc. Time is extremely important. Call your parents from the hospital. You will most likely have to go through an examine but this is very important to catching and having charges brought against your attacker. Most of them will threaten you if you were to tell. They are cowards and they only want to control you. If they wanted to harm you further, it would have happened at the time of the attack. They are betting that you will not tell and they will remain safe. By reporting this, you have a better chance of getting your attacker off the street.

Try to remember that things are better today than when I was attacked. We still have a long way to go though and the law is indifferent to rape in many parts of the United States. This is why it is especially important for each of you to take a stand, report your rape and stand strong.

Tips on how to avoid this type of rape.
Avoid being in a position of being the only other person at work or in a room with an adult, one on one. A responsible adult will automatically know this and not have you in that type of position to begin with. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, leave. No school or work is worth the risk of a possible encounter. It is your right to demand to be or work in a safe environment. Talk to your parents about this, if you can.

5) Rape by a stranger.

Any rape is horrible but being abducted by a stranger is most likely the most horrible experience of all. You have no idea of their character, their personality or their true intentions. It is impossible for me to say whether you should fight or cooperate. If they have a weapon, your best bet is to submit. Do what you have to do to stay alive.

What to do!
Get to the hospital at once. Do not go home first. do not shower or change clothes. The hospital will know how to handle this and contact the police. The main reasons you should not go home include destroying any possible evidence that will most likely be on you and if you go straight to the hospital or police first, your attacker can not follow you home. They will threaten you as many do not to say anything but you must! With an estimated 39 to 68% of all rapes going unreported, you must!

Tips of avoiding being abducted.
Always try to be with another trusted friend, especially at night. If you find yourself alone in a dark, strange place, know your surroundings well. Take self defense classes to arm yourself before it may happen to you.