This trend appears to be partly attributable to females having gained much the same degree of sexual and social freedom as their male counterparts enjoy. It is also attributable to the largely unrestrained ways in which human sexuality is portrayed in the mass media and in popular culture. These portrayals have diminished young people's inhibitions about seeking sexual gratification. These trends also are likely to have been facilitated by the widespread and growing use of alcoholic beverages. Given these conditions and the declining influence of standards that once protected females against male sexual predation, there is a strong likelihood that young, and perhaps older, women will increasingly constitute an at-risk population for date/acquaintance rape. Implications of this for the well-being of marriage and the family are discussed. 21 references. (Author abstract modified)