Drugging Your Character - Date Rape Drug Information for Writers

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision. 

Some statistics indicate that 40% of all sexual assaults are due to date rape, that 1 in 3 women experience an assault - as many as 1 in 4 women are successfully assaulted. 

Related blogs:
How a Predator Courts his victim
The NEW rape definition - makes it easier to send the perp to prison

So some personal information - 

I have two personal connections to these drugs. One had a "as good as it could get under the circumstances" outcome and one did not.

The first.
I was at a frat party as a young college girl - and had never heard of date rape drugs. But with my very first drink that particular night, I was out of my head drunk and passing out. Luckily, my friend, Suzie, saw me and kept me safe. I was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with Rohypnol poisoning.

The second.
Suzie went to Switzerland with another friend. One night at a pub, Suzie went to the ladies' room, and when she came back, her travel buddy was gone. Just gone. No one saw the girl get up and leave. After 24 hours, the police got involved. They dragged the lake and found the girl's body. Later, the police disclosed the bar video of a man's hand moving over both of their drinks. Suzie was saved by her trip to the ladies' room  prior to sipping her drink. The long line meant Suzie wasn't there to see her friend's symptoms or to see the two men "escorting" her friend out the door.

So let's start off by keeping your character safe (or reverse if your plot line needs her in trouble):

1. Don't let her drink anything
    that she didn't see poured or that

Cosmopolitan (cocktail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    she didn't open 
    herself (unless
    it's via a waiter).
2. Don't let her drink
   from a punch bowl.
3. Always have her
    watch her drink (rest
    her hand over the
    top of her glass or
    leave a napkin or
    coaster over the 
    top).
4. Have your
    character take her glass with her to the ladies' room. 
5. If she gets up to dance, she should get a fresh drink when she
    gets back to the table (yes, even if your character is drinking 
    water or a soft drink).
6. If your character thinks she's been drugged, she should ask for
    help immediately (preferably not from a stranger) her window is
    small between awareness of something odd happening and
    inability. She should be taken to an Emergency Room and a
    toxicology report taken.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ALCOHOL - 

* Is the #1 date rape drug effecting almost 50% of sexual assaults.

ROHYPNOL - Roofies

* A white tablet or green tablet. The green tablets dissolve slowly
   and may leave particles at the bottom of the glass and will turn
   the drink blue (this was a safety feature added by the
    manufacturer to try to prevent the drug from being used for date
   rape. Go ROCHE!) Bitter taste (possible).
* Works in 15- 20 minutes effects last 8 -12 hours

Health risks for your character:

* Nausea
* Slurred speech/problems talking
* Muscle relaxation/loss of motor 
   control
* Drunk feeling
* Confusion
* Problems seeing
* Dizziness/sleepiness
* Loss of memory of events that took
   place while under the influence of the
   drug
* Unlikely to be fatal though the risk
   increases with other drugs (recreational or prescription), alcohol
   levels, pre-existing conditions such as type 1 diabetes, respiratory
   issues such as asthma, and circulatory issues. 
* This drug works by suppressing the central nervous system and
   respiratory systems.
* It passes out of the system in 24 hours.

GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID (GHB) - Cherry Meth

*Originally used by weight lifters to stimulate muscle growth. It
  comes as a clear liquid, a white powder, a tablet or capsule form. 
  Odorless, and nearly tasteless - it can also taste salty -
  though almost undetectable when mixed into a drink.
*Takes effect in 15 - 30 minutes and can last 3-6 hours.
*Usually made at home or in "street labs"

Health Risks for Your Character

* Relaxation
* Drowsiness
* Dizziness
* Blacking out
* Seizures
* Not remembering what happened under the influence of the drug.
* Problems breathing
* Sweating
* Vomiting
* Slow heart rate
* Dreaming feeling
* Coma
* Death

KETAMINE - AKA Special K

*A powerful hallucinogen originally used as an animal tranquilizer.
  Frequently found in a powder form that is sprinkled over
  marijuana or tobacco (so this drug doesn't have to go into a drink)
  but can also be found in a clear liquid form.                                          

Health Risks to Your Character 

* Distorted vision and hearing
* Lost sense of time and identity
* Dream-like out of body experiences
* Feeling out of control
* Impaired motor functioning
* Problems breathing 
* Convulsions
* Vomiting
* Memory loss
* Aggressive or violent behavior                                                                  
* Depression
* Slurred speech
* High blood pressure

WANT TO SEE THIS ARTICLE 
IN ACTION?  Read MINE

Video Quick Study

Drink Savvy - preventing date rape products
Crisis Interventionist Talks About 3 Major Date Rape Drugs, Preventitive Strategies

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TROUBLE! Body Language 101 for Writers Writing Aggression

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. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is your character a police officer? Or maybe your character is the criminal? Here are some of the key "tells" that trouble is brewing.

Remember in your writing that a mind and therefore a body does not go from 0-60 in 1.3 seconds. Unless the person is a victim of a sudden attack, the body will follow the mind's processing and ramp up in aggressive signaling.

KEY BODY LANGUAGE INDICATORS:

In a traffic stop:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. The suspect keeps looking in the rearview mirror
2. The suspect moves their hands a lot. They should
    be still. This is a cautionary sign to which officers
    should pay close attention.
3. The suspect exits their vehicle - this can be
    interpreted in 2 ways
    a. This is part of a lier's body language
        LINK TO LYING 101 and the suspect is
        trying to distance themselves from some
       evidence.
    b. This is an act of aggression.
4. Either in or out of the vehicle: If the officer makes a
    request and there is a hesitation or non-compliance,
    the suspect has a plan in his mind.
5. Watch the hands. Does the suspect close off by
    pulling clothes tighter to the body or put their hands in pockets?
    a. This is a lier's body language that they are concealing something, either the truth or an actual object
    b. This is an act of nervousness
    c. The suspect is reaching for a weapon

Compliance is a key indicator.

Is the subject dancing around? Showing that s/he won't be following requests? Are they oppositional? Then look for these further signs that aggression will follow:

1 Defensive Barrier - arms folded across the chest

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 Avoiding eye contact and/or averting the face
3 Rocking motions
4 Clenching fists and/or teeth

5 Target Glance - such as at your weapon or the
   point where they mean to make contact
6 Facial wipe

Further Signs of aggression
1 Squinting
2 Lowering and spreading (opening the chest and
   arms) the body for stability. This happens from a
   standing or sitting position.
3 Redness in the face
4 Exaggerated gestures including shaking fingers,
   fists
5 Forward head butts is a sign of imminent physical aggression


Clapping the hands is one of the last indicators used prior to a fight. A clap of the hands is the MAJOR tell. Violence happens immediately afterwards.

Body Language tells and concealed carry of ANY weapon

1 Belt adjustment - especially if getting up.
2 Blading - if the suspect is carrying concealed and they know an officer is on one side they will shift their
  bodies slightly away from the officer hiding any bulges from the officer.
3 Billowing - where the suspect takes their clothing and pulls it away and loosens it to hide the weapon.
4 Thumb - prior to reaching for a concealed weapon the brain will process through the action. Getting the
   thumb to clear the weapon is key. The brain practices the event prior to execution, so the thumb will often
   twitch just prior to pulling the weapon.
5 "C" hands in to the front sides of the body at the edge of the shirt hem happens prior to pulling a weapon.
6 Holding on to the bottom of the shirt with one hand in preparation for pulling it out of the way to grab a
   weapon.

VIDEO QUICK STUDY

Video 1 (4:24) Concealed Carry Body Language
Video 2 (1:26) Avoiding Violence
Video 3 (2:10) Pre-attack Indicators - real crime with tutorial

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Related articles

• Body Language Intoduction
• Truth In Body Language

How to Write a Liar Telling a Lie: Body Language 101 for Writers

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lies Lies Lies

So your heroine has found herself confronted with a problem. Should she believe what the other character is telling her or run for the hills?

She has a feeling that this is all a big fat lie. Why?

Our brains are phenomenal machines that take in millions of pieces of information, sorts through, and then offers us a small little wedge of consciousness.

Here are the cross-cultural "lying tells" (Studies also run on blind people who have never seen a lie in action) that you might write into the plot line to tickle her brain awake.



1.)  The liars hands. Body language studies show that people tend to touch their face and scratch
       their nose when they lie.

2.) Their eyes. Liars tend to blink a lot and do not maintain eye contact. They will sometimes have a rapid
     eye-shift then look down to the left

3.) Liars will often skip contractions saying I did not instead of I didn't. "I did NOT kill that woman!"

4) Liars will often skip pronouns using their names instead of he or she. "I gave it to Betty Sue."

5) Liars smile using only their mouth - the smile doesn't reach their eyes. Since the brain uses only one
    part to recall but three parts to plot a lie, the face will often freeze into an expression. The typical
    expression is an ingenuous smile.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

6) Liars close their body posture. Arms and/or
    legs may cross, shoulders scoop inward, head
    lower.

7) Often a liar will put an object between
     themselves and the person to whom they are
     lying - like a  folder, coffee mug, or chair.

8) Extended pauses in the conversation make
    liars feel uncomfortable. The liar will fill in the
    space with words.

9) Liars provide more information than necessary
   - overly specific and detailed. "The girls were
   wearing team t-shirts." v. "The team was wearing matching red and white baseball t-shirts."

10) A liar will use a qualifier: "I want you to understand that..." "You can trust me..."

11) Liars will perceptibly change their breathing, sweating, and swallowing (too much saliva or dry mouth)

12) Liars tend to list to the side.

Added note - Liars tend to prefer technology (phone calls etc.). Because they do not need to maintain their body and facial features, they can focus on their tone and delivery. But as writers, we can still show the lie being  told. And when a lie is being told through technology the body language would not be monitored, so it will be even more on evident display.



VIDEO QUICK STUDY

How to Catch a Lier (3:57)
How to Detect Lies - Steven Van Aperen (4:20)
Scam School Teaches You How to Lie. (15:51)

See how this article influenced my plot lines in my novella MINE and my novel CHAOS IS COME AGAIN.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Related articles

• 
  
  Four Easy Steps to Tell If a Child Is Lying
• The Kinesics of Lying

A Heroine's Plan to Escape a Car Abduction - Information for Writers

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting in
formation to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

Car abduction 

Statistically, being moved by an attacker from a primary location to a secondary location is extremely dangerous. Consider any movement to be imminently life-threatening.

Most abductions are done by someone who is known to the victim. The heroine should treat the perpetrator, known or not, as a deadly enemy and do everything in her power to escape.


Optimally, your heroine was on her toes. She was aware of her surrounding, and she was prepared
with a hand-held weapon such as a KUBOTAN, ASP, PEPPER SPRAY, or ELECTRIC WEAPON

(clicking on any of these links will take you to a how-to blog)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But those heroines always seem to be getting themselves into trouble!

Escape Action Plan

1. Noise! Research shows that just making noise is a deterrent to a potential attack. Further, research has proven that yelling "help" is an ineffectual way to get help. When people hear help, they are alerted to a danger and move away. Screaming "fire" on the other hand has the opposite effect, people will come.

 * Video Bystander Effect


2. Resist - studies prove that resisting an unarmed assailant is an
  effectual way to thwart an attack. Unless there is a personal
  component such as a stalker or a vendetta, the attacker will look
  for a victim-personality. More on victims' behaviors at this link
  Your heroine's efforts make her too much trouble and too risky
   or the attacker.      

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3.What if he has a weapon such
   as a gun or knife? 
  That's a trickier call. The best
   advice here is to let you limbic
   system tell you what to do. If
   you feel like an action is the 
   right one - even if it seems
   counter intuitive - trust that 
   your brain is processing
   more than is on the surface.
   LIMBIC BRAIN (this
   is a link to a blog about how
   your limbic system can
   get you out of trouble)

   Somehow he got the girl in the car and is
   taking her to another location:
   She must assume that the other location
   means death, so the heroine must take whatever
   action she can even if it causes her injuries.

1. Jump out of the car when it slows or stops in a
    populated area.
2. Cause the car to have an accident by pulling on the steering
    wheel  or suddenly shifting the gears
3. If the attacker stops the car for any reason, jam something into
    the ignition so that it can't be restarted.

If she is locked in the trunk: 

1. If she has been restrained she will need to break free
    If you need a tutorial on breaking out of tie rods or
    duct tape CLICK HERE and if she is handcuffed,
    CLICK HERE.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Feel around  the trunk for a
    release latch (required
    on cars since 2000) Have her
    try to spot the
    location before the trunk is
    shut because she will be
    in pitch black. Most of the
    pulls are made of glow-
    in-the-dark material.
3. If none, search for a weapon to
    use once the trunk
    is opened.
4. Does she have her phone on her? Call 911 (This
    might have been missed if she carries it in her
    pocket or bra. Remember the attacker is
    experiencing an adrenaline rush, too.) Give as many
    details as possible about the car and the attacker.
5. She can attempt to kick in the back seat and crawl
    through to attack the driver.
6. She can attempt to kick out the brake lights to call
    attention to the vehicle, especially if this is seen by
    handy-dandy police officer who happens to be
    patrolling that stretch of highway.

VIDEO QUICK STUDY - FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (11:27)

If the heroine is taken to a location and not killed immediately, she might try:

1. Getting a hold of a phone and dialing 911 then walking away
   from the phone so the abductor's attention is not drawn to the
   movement, and the police might have time to trace the call.
2. Clog a toilet or create another distraction that might allow
   escape.
3. At night, flash the lights in a pattern of three repeatedly. Sets of
   three - horn blasts, light flicks, whistle blows are a universal sign
   of distress. (If you hear or see this, call authorities to investigate -
   you may be saving a life.)

VIDEOS
Older car escape using the locking mechanism (1:01)
Showing the escape chord (:55)
Safety Instructor Talking Through What He Tells His Students (8:56)

And on a final note, many cars have crawl-outs from the back seat. If your heroine goes into water, the back will float; the engine will sink. The passengers can escape through the trunk, in many cars. Authors, check on this possibility for your character's car. This might be something she remembered as a safety feature pointed out to her during the sales pitch.

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Self Defense - Electric Weapons: Stun Guns v. Tasers - Information for Writers

Tasers? yep.. (Photo credit: number657)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

In the beginning there was a Taser and a stun gun. And while they come from the same family of electric self defense weapons they are not at all alike.

Many writers will use the terms interchangeably.

Who would carry and electric self defense weapon?

This weapon can fit with any character over the age of 18.

Is it even legal to carry this type of weapon?

For the most part the answer is yes. Though check your characters' state codes. This link takes you to a state by state review of applicable laws.

So what is the difference between the two weapons?

The Stun Gun 

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*A stun gun is a brute force weapon. You must make personal contact with

  your assailant.

* Though the prongs DO NOT need to make direct skin contact.

* The contact that is required is LONG 2-3 seconds
   to be precise. While this doesn't sound too bad.
   Think about the last time you were waiting for your
    microwave to ding. I know! 

   Now imagine those 2-3 seconds while someone is
   stabbing you or even punching you. 

*  2 seconds can cause muscle spasms and a state
    of shock lasting up to fifteen minutes - enough to
    get away. 5 seconds is best.

* The current will not transfer to you even if you are
   grabbing at each other

* Water is not a problem even if you are standing in water.

                                                      How does it work?

On the packaging, the manufacturer will indicate the voltage. It is not the voltage though that makes the difference it is the pulse rate frequency.

Yes, the more volts the better, but the pulse rate determines the gun's power to put an attacker down. You see, it's the frequency rate that disrupts the neural pathways in the body - and believe it or not it's a sugar thing. As the electricity pulses the muscles, they produce lactic acid and consume the glucose causing the loss of muscle control (like a Type1Diabetic seizure). Your character should look for at least 100k volts to ensure enough pulse power to be effective.

The Taser 

English: Police issue X26 TASER (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*A Taser is a distance weapon.

*You can use this weapon from fifteen feet (5 meters)

* The Taser works by shooting out tiny metal probes that embed
   in the flesh. These probes are attached to wires that connect to
   the Taser unit.

* A Taser is HIGHLY RELIABLE and HIGHLY EFFICIENT 

* It works by interrupting the communication between the muscles
  and the brain, effectively attacking the central nervous system.
  This interruption continues as long as the electricity is
  administered.

Unlike Stephanie Plum in the Janet Evanovich novels, electrical weaponry no longer depends on batteries but is plugged into the wall to charge overnight like a phone.

Also, if you are looking for plot twists - some of the stun guns have a probe in the bottom that attaches to the lanyard around the wrist. If the attacker tries to take the weapon, as it is pulled away from the victim, the pin releases and the weapon is no longer operational. But some do not have this safety.

Electric weapons are effective on sub-creatures including Vampire, Werewolves, and Zombies - but do not have an effect on phantoms or ghosts.

Perhaps your heroine wants to be clever and arm herself with a camouflaged electric weapon - try these on and see if they serve:

       Cell Phone Stun Gun (1:48)

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Lipstick Stun Gun (1:49) 

Electric weapon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tampon Taser (3:47) No, I'm not kidding

Telescopic stun baton (3:33) similar to asp    

Advanced M26 TASER Stun Pistol - The United States military version of commercial TASERs for non-lethal detainment. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

VIDEO QUICK STUDY

Video - Taser v. Knife (1:05)
The Taser Explained (7:05) Shows an experiment where a man was able to overcome the Taser showing
                                           that it is not fail safe.
Female review and demonstration of flashlight/stun gun (3:42)
Why a stun gun isn't fabo. (8:19) Excellent descriptions and explanations.

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