Prevention of a Sexual Offense

All students should be aware of behaviors that constitute a sexual offense, steps to protect themselves and procedures to report an incident.

Prevention of Sexual Offenses 
All students should be aware of behaviors that constitute a sexual offense, steps to protect themselves, and procedures to report an incident. 

• Trust your instincts: Honor your gut reaction even if you don’t know why you feel unsafe. If you are uncomfortable in a situation, leave immediately and seek help. 
• Be alert: Being aware of people, surroundings and situations is the first step in preventing a sexual offense. Become familiar with your surroundings. Know how to contact police or campus security, and learn locations of public telephones and campus emergency phones. 
• Think ahead: Become familiar with safety and prevention techniques, the University’s Policy on Sexual Offense, and the procedure for reporting these incidents. 
• Reduce your risk: Review the prevention techniques in this brochure. For example: 

  • Become familiar with the neighborhood. 
  • Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and plan with friends to look out for one another. 
  • The majority of sexual offenses are committed by someone the victim knows, so it is important to spend time with people you know well and trust. • Do what is right for you when it comes to sexual   activity and let people know your limits as clearly as possible. 

• Know the facts:
• Consent must be active and full. If any type of manipulation, threat, or force is used to obtain a “yes” to sexual activity, the “yes” does not qualify as consent.
• Silence does not mean “yes.” If a person is afraid to say “no”, physically immobilized as a result of coercion, or he or she is impaired due to drug and/or alcohol consumption or a mental disability, he or she is unable to consent to sexual activity. 
• Sexual offenses cross the boundaries of gender, age, class, race, and sexual orientation. While the majority of victims are presumably female (an estimated 1 in 4 women will be sexually abused and 1 in 8 will be raped in their lifetime), there is a high prevalence of sexual assault among men as well. Men are increasingly coming forward with sexual abuse histories. 
• The assailant and/or the victim are intoxicated in the majority of sexual offenses on college campuses. Avoid excessive alcohol and other drug use. Alcohol and drug use can blunt your alertness and impair your ability to understand and respond to feelings and situations, making it more difficult to resist peer pressure to engage in behaviors that put you at risk or, conversely, might lead you to commit a sexual offense. 

• When you are going out for the evening:
• Tell someone you trust where and with whom you’re going and when you will return. 5 
• Go out with friends you trust and agree to look out for one another. Leave with a friend rather than alone or with someone you do not know very well. 
• Do not leave beverages unattended; always keep your drinks in sight. 
• Pay attention to your friends’ behavior. Discourage friends from leaving with someone they don’t know well—even if this person is an acquaintance. 
• Share this information with friends and talk about ways to look out for each other. 

• Home and Residence Hall:
• Never open your door to strangers. If you are not expecting anyone, use the peephole to ask for identification and the reason for their visit. Do not be afraid to ask questions or to call police or security to report suspicious people. 
• Never let someone into your building unless you know that person lives there. 
• Do not prop open any doors to your building. This is an easy way for a person to gain entry without anyone noticing. 

• Walking: 
• Constantly be aware of your surroundings—people, lighting, and situations. 
• Do not walk while wearing headphones or earbuds; it dulls your hearing and makes you less aware of what is happening around you. 
• Avoid walking alone at night. 
• Walk close to the curb to avoid shrubs, dark doorways, and other places people can hide. 
• Do not take shortcuts through dark and isolated places. 
• Have your keys in your hand so that you do not spend time looking for them. 
• Blue light emergency phones are available at various locations on campus and are useful in calling for assistance. 

• Public Transportation: 
• Wait for trains in the off-hours waiting areas designated at each station. 
• Do not ride in empty subway cars; ride in the conductor’s car. 
• Use station exits with the most activity. 
• Use only licensed yellow cabs. Do not use livery/gypsy cabs. 

• Driving: 
• Keep your doors locked and windows rolled up while driving or parking your car. 
• If you feel threatened at a red light or stop sign, sound your horn and drive away. 
• Park your car in a place that is well lit at night. 
• Make sure your car is in good condition and has enough gas to make it to your destination. 
• Always know where you are going and how to get there. 
• Store valuables out of sight in your locked trunk. 

Date/Acquaintance Rape - Gang/Group Rape
• Date/acquaintance rape occurs when you are forced or manipulated into having sex against your will by someone you know, whether that person is your date, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a significant other, an acquaintance, a friend, a neighbor, a classmate, a co-worker, or a teammate. This is the most common form of sexual assault.