Staying Safe in the Campus Red Zone

Although working to prevent violence is a year-round job, there are three points during the year where our work feels especially urgent: April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month), October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month), and the start of a new university school year.

In other words, right now.

The number of sexual assaults on campus spike during the period between the first day of school and Thanksgiving break—so significantly, in fact, that they’ve been labeled “the red zone.” According to RAINN , more than 50% of assaults happen during this period of time, mostly between midnight and 6 a.m. on weekends. And though we’ve all been warned about “stranger danger,” the truth is that 90% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knows . As we tell the young women who come to our Campus Ready classes, it’s of course important to be situationally aware as you’re walking alone across campus or through your neighborhood, but the most dangerous situations are typically dates and parties. (Alcohol lowers the inhibitions of predators, makes it more difficult for women to read warning signs and physically defend themselves, and is a convenient vehicle for blackout drugs like rohypnol.)

While this data can feel very scary, young women aren’t helpless. There’s much we can do to move through campus more confidently and safely.

1.     Knowing is half the battle. Just educating yourself and having frank conversations—with your teens if you’re a parent, and your friends if you’re a college student—increases campus safety. We can’t defend against things we don’t know about, but simple awareness can help students recognize warning signs faster and make more confident decisions about when to leave a party or end a date.

2.     Identify your campus resources. The day you step foot on a new campus, make time to visit the campus safety and security office. Ask the staff what safety measures the university has put in place, for example:

a.     Are there campus shuttles ? Where are the stops and what are the days and hours of operation?

b.     Is there a school safety app you can download? Are there emergency phones or call boxes? Can the staff provide a map of their locations on campus?

c.     Is there a counseling center on campus? Does it have a 24-hour helpline?

d.     Do they employ an assault advocate ?

3.     Team up with your friends and roommates. When I was a freshman at Xavier University, my roommate, Stacey, and I had a dry erase board on our dorm room door. Whenever we left, we’d pen a little note for each other, like “studying in the library” or “soccer practice” or “lifeguard shift.” I think it started out as just a friendly courtesy thing, but looking back, that was an excellent safety practice for those first few months living in a new place. If there would have been an emergency or one of us would have gone MIA for an unusual amount of time, our roommate would have at least known where to start looking. Other simple things you can do include letting your roommate/close friends know when you have a date and when you think you’ll be home. (You can always text them if your plans change.) And keep an eye on each other at parties. We’re not saying you have to be all up in each other’s business all the time or become the mother hen of your friend squad—this is all about just having each other’s backs.

We believe young women should be just as free as young men to go anywhere and do anything they please—on campus and off. We want you to live big and enjoy every moment of this exciting and transformative time in your life. And we think that two of the best ways for young women to feel confident and safe enough to do that is to educate ourselves about the realities and risks we face and to support each other.

We’re smart. We’re strong. We’ve got this.

—Lauren

Interested in a Campus Ready class but don’t see one on our workshop schedule right now? Drop us a line .

Photo by  Andrea Piacquadio  from  Pexels