Most people think rape is only committed by strangers.
Research indicates that women are more likely to be raped by someone they know fairly well than by someone who is a total stranger. Acquaintance rape, or rape committed by someone the victim knows, is one of the most common forms of rape occurring in this country today, especially in a campus setting. It is not uncommon for women to be sexually assaulted by friends, family members, neighbors, boyfriends or ex-boyfriends, dates, coworkers, etc. It is difficult to estimate the true magnitude of the acquaintance rape problem for two reasons. First most women raped by an acquaintance are reluctant to report the attack to police because they are afraid they will not be believed.