... to wonder how prevalent "spiking" really is?

[SeptemberGurl]

There's been a few reported incidents this term already at the Uni where my DD2 is studying. She is in her final year, and over the past years she's told me about two suspected incidences with her close friendship group.

I wish there were some better data on this. Is it really that common?

Yet again women being foolish and delusional

Exactly the same was said when in the late 90’s when women reported their drinks being spiked

There is often truth in reports that we don’t want to believe are true or that are dismissed as true

But yes let’s list stories that haven’t turned out to be true rather than those that have

As someone pointed out upthread, questioning the prevalence of a phenomenon isn't the same as disbelieving it. And quite frankly people who try to twist it that way are in danger of appearing to have their own agenda beyond the matter in hand.

Personally I have no doubt whatsoever that such incidents occur. But whether they do in the numbers reported, or whether those numbers support the reality of what is going on is a complex matter. And that's before you factor in the prism of MN, which tends not to lead to nuanced debate.

There's also the added danger of straying into conspiraloon territory and accusing anyone who isn't immediately accepting of the numbers as somehow "in on it" ... which - assuming the aim is to protect people - is less than productive.

I believe you

This is how we go forward in making women’s lives safer, more women reporting and incidents being taken seriously

Not well let’s hang on maybe x y and z happened and you know some can be a bit dramatic

The questions that need to be asked is how we make women safer. Young women should be able to go out without having to think could I be spiked

And worse if they are they come up against such questioning

My drink was spiked late 90s at a uni venue. My housemate worked on the door and found me collapsed in the bathroom.

No doubt it happens but the vast majority are people who drank too much/underestimated the effects alcohol would have on them.

We used to sat that rape claims were a get out of jail free card when women felt guilty about having sex. Fucking disgusting. And I bet you're the same type of people who berate women who have been raped for not reporting it. There really is no wonder so many rapes go unreported.

My ex raped me over a long period of time. I wasn't drunk. I didn't drink. I was still told by the police officer that it would be my word against his when it came down to it (even though I had physical evidence of him beating me including with a plank of wood).

It is attitudes like that which help rapists go free. I hope you're proud.

Also, I've been spiked before by my ex's flatmate. Totally different in my experience to being drunk. Luckily I wasn't hurt that night but it was still very scary that I still have no memory of the night.

Because it’s political suicide to assume it’s all made up hence Priti Patel ordering police to look into it

Oh, really? Tell that to the police in Houston.

www.pedestrian.tv/news/travis-scott-astroworld-needle-spiking/

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day I was more pro-women than mumsnet...
The amount of victim blaming on this thread is disgusting, if even one girl is getting spiked that's an issue, does it matter if it's 1 or 100? Really? I don't doubt some have drunk too much, but we're really using that to dismiss the actual stories, the lived experiences, of other women?
And also, the number of people going "oh you can't actually inject someone with drugs, it's just guys with pins", that's fine is it? A guy stabs someone but it's ok because at least it wasn't poison? Jesus cock sucking christ... I think y'all need to stop worrying about TWAW and your apparent deep concern about the danger that Trans women pose to your daughters and the young women of our society and actually look out for said young women.

@HadaVerde

No doubt it happens but the vast majority are people who drank too much/underestimated the effects alcohol would have on them.

Source?

I caught someone spiking my drink with a white tablet on my hen do in the mid-noughties in London west end club. Tablet dissolved so quickly I wondered if I imagined it. I was sober, hadn't really been drinking as I wanted to enjoy and remember my hen do.
We told the club security, then they took the 2 guys off for questioning- but warned us that if they didn't find any evidence they would release them back into the club. I was scared by then, so we left and went home.

Also I was spiked in 90s by someone with form - people knew about or gossiped about rumours of what this guy was like - it didn't end well for me on that occasion.

Please can we all make a bit more effort to listen to and understand the claims being made by women who say they have been violated. Just because it didn't happen to you or because you see people who drink too much doesn't mean it's not happening.

These sort of reactions make it so hard for attacked women to get justice.

This attitude of 'she probably just drank too much' is what stops people reporting it. And also makes the 'I don't know anyone it has happened to' meaningless. Maybe they just didn't tell you? This was certainly the case for me in 2004.

I know spiking happens...of course it does.

That doesn't mean that every women who says she has been spiked definitely has. I'm not saying they are deliberately lying...they may well genuinely believe they have been spiked. That's not to say that they shouldn't be treated seriously and treated with care and kindness. I do believe social contagion exists to some extent...for example, the woman I heard who said she has been spiked many times. That seems incredibly unlikely.

if even one girl is getting spiked that's an issue, does it matter if it's 1 or 100? Really?

Yes, it obviously does. And the thread is about how prevalent it is. To which the short answer seems to be that no one knows, statistics don't exist, and anecdotal evidence is not reliable.

Despite accusations to the contrary, I think spiking happens a lot and is a fucking awful thing. I am just doubtful about the likelihood of it being done by surreptitious injection by syringe. But all experiences of being jabbed need investigating.

Despite accusations to the contrary, I think spiking happens a lot and is a fucking awful thing

No one has suggested it's not awful . That's pretty much a given

I meant accusations that I was diminishing it by querying the injecting thing.

Oh sorry, I see!

Those of you using the alleged fentanyl injections of security guards at the astroworld concert as a “gotcha”- PLEASE stop. These are completely unverified reports, no positive drug tests have been revealed. “Reported incidents” are not facts, and it’s looking extremely likely that the security, artist, and venue teams are pushing these unfounded reports as the narrative so they can shift as much blame as possible onto the crowd. You may recall that similar tactics (blaming the crowd for violent and criminal acts) were used at Hillsborough.

@Helloise

Those of you using the alleged fentanyl injections of security guards at the astroworld concert as a “gotcha”- PLEASE stop. These are completely unverified reports, no positive drug tests have been revealed. “Reported incidents” are not facts, and it’s looking extremely likely that the security, artist, and venue teams are pushing these unfounded reports as the narrative so they can shift as much blame as possible onto the crowd. You may recall that similar tactics (blaming the crowd for violent and criminal acts) were used at Hillsborough.

What are you on about?

Poster says the only reason police are looking into these incidents of needle spiking is political pressure.

I replied to say: clearly the Houston police are not looking into the security guard who was revived with Narcan after falling unconscious after feeling himself pricked in the neck because of Priti Patel!

When is it fact ? Once there has been a court case and there is a guilty verdict

Drug testing may not show up unless done in a window of time (if tested at all) and even then there are other factors to consider

Many women who have been spiked are so confused by the experience it takes a while to work out what has happened and why would any women feel confident in reporting to the police

I remember similar arguments against hysteria or dismissing women’s experiences when spiking drinks was first reported

Why not believe these women, address the issue spiking is an issue regardless how it is done and deal with how to keep women safer

Rather than belittling women’s experiences and fear

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59218539

The supposed drug spiking of the security guard has been disproven

I can now add my partner to this list.

Where on earth are people going for this to happen?

What sort of drugs can be flash injected in the backs of hands? (Which is the only place I've seen on TV)

If all the girls stop going to places selling alcohol will the problem stop?

Go out together. Come home together. Don't sleep with strangers.

@mumda

Where on earth are people going for this to happen? What sort of drugs can be flash injected in the backs of hands? (Which is the only place I've seen on TV)

If all the girls stop going to places selling alcohol will the problem stop?

Go out together. Come home together. Don't sleep with strangers.

My partner is male. Ended up in hospital