The following tips may reduce your risk for many different types of crimes, including sexual violence.
Know your resources. Who should you contact if you or a friend needs help? Where should you go? Program the campus security number into your cell phone for easy access.
Stay alert. When you’re moving around on campus or in the surrounding neighborhood, be aware of your surroundings. Consider inviting a friend to join you or asking campus security for an escort. If you’re alone, only use headphones in one ear to stay aware of your surroundings.
Be careful about posting your location. Many social media sites, like Facebook and Foursquare, use geolocation to publicly share your location. Consider disabling this function and reviewing other social media settings.
Make others earn your trust. A college environment can foster a false sense of security. They may feel like fast friends, but give people time earn your trust before relying on them.
Think about Plan B. Spend some time thinking about back-up plans for potentially sticky situations. If your phone dies, do you have a few numbers memorized to get help? Do you have emergency cash in case you can’t use a credit card? If you drive, is there a spare key hidden, gas in your car, and a set of jumper cables?
Be secure. Lock your door and windows when you’re asleep and when you leave home.
It’s possible to relax and have a good time while still making safety a priority. Consider these tips for staying safe and looking out for your friends in social settings.
Make a plan. If you’re going to a party, go with people you trust. Agree to watch out for each other and plan to leave together. If your plans change, make sure to touch base with the other people in your group. Don’t leave someone stranded in an unfamiliar or unsafe situation.
Protect your drink. Don’t leave your drink unattended, and watch out for your friends’ drinks if you can. If you go to the bathroom or step outside, take the drink with you or toss it out. Drink from unopened containers or drinks you watched being made and poured. It’s not always possible to know if something has been added to someone’s drink. In drug-facilitated sexual assaults, a perpetrator could use a substance that has no color, taste, or odor.
Know your limits. Keep track of how many drinks you’ve had, and be aware of your friends’ behavior. If one of you feels extremely tired or more drunk than you should, you may have been drugged. Leave the party or situation and find help immediately.
It’s okay to lie. If you want to exit a situation immediately and are concerned about frightening or upsetting someone, it’s okay to lie. You are never obligated to remain in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, pressured, or threatened. You can also lie to help a friend leave a situation that you think may be dangerous. Some excuses you could use are needing to take care of another friend or family member, an urgent phone call, not feeling well, and having to be somewhere else by a certain time.
Be a good friend. Trust your instincts. If you notice something that doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
If you have experienced sexual assault, there are steps you can take to feel safer.
Make use of on-campus resources. Colleges often provide a host of services to students for free, including security escorts, support services for on and off campus resources.
Request a schedule or housing change. If you have classes with the perpetrator or live in the same building, you can request a change from your college administration.
Access off-campus support services. If you are concerned about anonymity, you can seek out resources located off campus in the community, like a local sexual assault servicer provider or domestic violence shelter.
Create a safety plan. If you are concerned for your ongoing safety, it can be worthwhile to create a safety plan.Safety Planning is about finding ways to be safe in the present while planning for your future safety as well.