Back to School Safety Tips
This blog was inspired by a recent Instagram post.
Content Warning: This blog contains references to sexual assault.
As the summer winds down, college students across the country are heading back to campus, settling into their dorm rooms, and embracing a surge of new connections and experiences. While the start of fall semester is a time of great anticipation and excitement, it is also a time of increased risk when it comes to sexual violence.
You might have heard that the first few months of the fall semester is referred to as “the Red Zone,” due to the higher than average rates of sexual assault that occur between the start of the school year and Thanksgiving break. During this time, many organizations and groups will share "safety tips."
While these lists are usually well-intentioned, many suggestions focus on what potential victims should or shouldn’t do to ‘avoid’ being victimized. Unfortunately, these messages both fuel victim-blaming and increase the shame and self-blame that cause so many survivors to suffer in silence.
This not only serves to hurt survivors. It also emboldens offenders, who can then fly under the radar and continue to harm others. In fact, 90% of campus sexual assaults are committed by serial perpetrators. And when perpetrators aren’t held accountable (as they rarely are), our schools and communities are less safe for everyone.
So, while safety lists tend to make our skin crawl, we certainly agree that there are things students can do to promote safety on campus.
So, here’s our (slightly different) list:
1. Keep an eye on your creepy friend
(You know who we’re talking about.)
If you have a friend who makes inappropriate jokes, has a habit of being overly flirtatious or touchy, or you’ve heard that they make others uncomfortable, take it seriously.
Don’t laugh it off. Call out their behavior.
Just because you might think they’re harmless, doesn’t mean they’re incapable of perpetrating harm.
2. Watch how much you drink
*especially if you get handsy when you drink too much
This is a common (and often misguided) suggestion directed at potential victims — particularly women. But drinking heavily does not cause sexual assault.
However, alcohol is often used as an excuse by perpetrators.
So, if drinking too much makes you unable to recognize or respect other people’s boundaries, or if it leads you (or your friends) to be belligerent or predatory, we recommend you abstain.
3. Intervene if something looks off.
While most sexual assaults are committed behind closed doors, there are often bystanders who witness concerning interactions ahead of an assault.
So, intervene if you see someone who:
is particularly touchy with someone who appears incapacitated
is pressuring others to drink (i.e. repeatedly refilling their cups)
is following or leading someone who is impaired to an isolated location
looks disoriented or uncomfortable
Worried you might be reading things wrong? It’s better to intervene and be wrong, than to not and later wish you had.
4. Don’t sexually assault people.
If you only follow one of these tips, let this be the one.
Keep in mind that consent is not a momentary decision, but an ongoing conversation. When it comes to hooking up, remember that just because someone isn’t fighting or shouting “No!” does NOT mean that they are consenting. In fact, it is actually extremely common for trauma survivors to freeze during an assault.
So, if someone pulls away, is not participating (i.e. “just lays there”), has been stumbling and/or has slurred speech, or expresses feeling tired or sick, leave them ALONE. Better yet – find one of their friends and help them make it home safely.
5. Believe (& never blame) survivors
*Victim-blaming emboldens perpetrators.
If a friend shares that someone sexually assaulted them, don’t grill them for details, ask why they “weren’t more careful,” or insist that they report. But reassure them that you believe and support them.
While this doesn’t seem like much of a safety tip, creating a culture where survivors are believed and supported helps disrupt the silence and shame that keeps sexual assault hidden, and allows offenders to continue perpetrating without consequence.
6. Share resources - like Callisto!
It’s important to recognize that all survivors respond to sexual assault differently. And, while it’s common for loved ones to pressure those who have been harmed to report to authorities, reporting can feel overwhelming, retraumatizing, and often does not lead to the kinds of consequences we’d expect.
So, learn about what kinds of support services (particularly confidential resources) are available on your campus.
Callisto is a FREE resource available to everyone in the U.S. with an active .edu email. Our revolutionary and encrypted platform enables survivors to create a timestamped record of their assault and/or match with others harmed by the same perpetrator…whether or not they report.
Help spread the word by downloading our free toolkit!
Heading to/back to campus can be a fun and exciting time. Being informed can help create a safer campus community, without causing more harm to survivors.