USU Holds 'Red Zone' Sexual Assault Awareness Day Sept. 13
Aggies need to be aware that the “Red Zone” is the time of year when college students are at highest risk of sexual assault. The period extends from early August, when coeds first arrive on campus, through November’s Thanksgiving break.
“Freshmen women are particularly vulnerable, as they are encountering exciting, new social opportunities and many are adjusting to life away from their parents’ homes for the first time,” says Rachel Brighton, coordinator of the Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information Office at Utah State University.
USU’s SAAVI office hosts “Red Zone Day” Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the plaza south of the Taggart Student Center. Students, faculty and staff are invited to visit exhibits aimed at building awareness of campus and community resources for education and assistance. Information about educational service opportunities will also be available. Visitors can register to win gift certificates.
“Sexual assault isn’t a comfortable topic for most people,” says Brighton. “But we’re trying to spread the message that violence prevention requires awareness and involvement from all of us.”
A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Justice found that rape is the most common violent crime on American college campuses. A study released last year by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice found that one in eight Utah women will be raped, and one in three will experience some other form of sexual assault. The same study noted that only 8.6 percent of Utah victims were attacked by a stranger. Most victims were acquainted with the perpetrator.
“Though it isn’t pleasant to acknowledge, date and acquaintance rape really does happen to people we know by people we know,” says Brighton. “And both women and men can be victims of sexual violence.”
Brighton offers these tips and insights:
- Don’t be a silent bystander: If you see someone in a potentially dangerous situation, speak up or get help.
- Be independent and aware on dates and in social situations. Think about appropriate places to meet, and express your opinions on where to go. Avoid secluded places. Be able to get yourself home or to a safe place. Always let friends or family know where you are.
- Alcohol and drugs, along with verbal and physical threats, are the most common “weapons” used in rape. Drugs and alcohol impair your ability to make responsible decisions.
- Be assertive: Do not allow politeness, fear of hurting someone’s feelings or accusations that you have “led someone on” trap you into a dangerous situation.
- Know your sexual boundaries and clearly communicate them.
- When initiating sexual intimacy, pay close attention to what your partner feels comfortable with. If your partner “freezes up,” it’s a good indication that you need to stop, ask and clarify.
- If you say “no,” say it like you mean it, and if you hear “no,” listen to it and stop.
- Men: When you see another man behaving in a questionable manner toward a woman or hear “locker room talk” that degrades women, speak up and communicate disapproval. Chances are that others feel the same way you do.
SAAVI has updated its Web site to provide USU students, faculty and staff with rapid access to helpful resources and information about sexual violence.
Utah State is the only college or university in the state with a full-time position dedicated to sexual assault prevention.
For more information about Red Zone Day and sexual assault prevention resources at USU, contact Brighton at 435-797-1510 or rbrighton@cc.usu.edu.
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Contact: Rachel Brighton, 435-797-1510; rbrighton@cc.usu.edu
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-1429; maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu
It's About All of Us: "Date and acquaintance rape really does happen to people we know by people we know," says Rachel Brighton, USU SAAVI coordinator.
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