Sexual Assault

5 tips to stay safe and have fun over Halloween weekend

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:22:58 +0000

5 tips to stay safe and have fun over Halloween weekend Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/25/2023 - 12:22

Halloween weekend can be a time to have fun and celebrate with friends. Celebrations that involve alcohol and other substances can also make it easier for problematic behaviors and unwelcome advances to go unnoticed.

Here are a few tips to help you have a safer Halloween weekend out with friends.

1. Respect your friends’ limits

Halloween can be a time for many people to get out of their comfort zones by dressing up, feeling the adrenaline rush of a haunted house or attending parties off campus. However, there are also a number of Halloween traditions that can make people feel uncomfortable or unsafe, like being grabbed in a haunted house or maze or agreeing to attend a party where they don’t know many people. It's important to keep in mind that things that may feel fun to one person may be too uncomfortable or risky for someone else.

If a friend expresses hesitancy to participate in a particular activity or event, let them know you support their decision. Letting your friends know that you will support them even if they don’t join in can go a long way in building trust and respect.

Additionally, it can be hard for any of us to know what new situations are past our limits until we are in it. This is because we may feel pressure to dismiss our body’s cues in order to be accepted or go with the flow. If a friend wants to leave halfway through a haunted house or in the middle of the party, listen to what they’re feeling. If they need help getting out of a situation, make a commitment to leave together or as a group.

2. Pay attention to sketchy situations

Dressing up is a cherished part of celebrating Halloween. However, this tradition can also be infused with problematic stereotypes and attitudes. For this reason, it’s important to notice when people are using outfit and costume choices or alcohol or other drugs as an excuse for groping, non-consensual touching and other inappropriate comments or behaviors.

Watch out for individuals who:

Coerce or pressure someone to use alcohol or drugs or consume more than they are comfortable with.
Initiate sexual contact because they think the other person is intoxicated and/or less likely to resist.
Isolate someone who has had too much to drink or is having a negative drug experience.
Don't tell someone what is in their drink or the type of dosage of drug they are ingesting.
Dress up, use accents or mock individuals or groups based on their identity.

3. Brainstorm ways to help

It’s okay to intervene or interrupt a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, even if you’re not sure you’re reading it correctly. If someone’s behavior seems aggressive, weird or makes you uncomfortable, don’t ignore it.

Offering help in these types of situations can feel awkward in the moment, so it can be helpful to think of ways to help that feel realistic for you to try. This can include enlisting the help of trusted friends to ensure a person gets home safely or can get out of a situation. Check out the Don’t Ignore It website to explore support resources, strategies for bystanders and reporting information.

4. Keep track of your friends

Make a commitment to stick together and agree on how you will meet back up if you get separated. This lessens the chances that someone in your group will have to rely on lesser-known friends or strangers to get home, which can also reduce the chances of something bad happening.

It’s also important to establish a way to check in with each other. Save each other’s phone numbers and consider starting a group chat so you can communicate in case someone needs help. You’ll want to make sure that everyone has their sound on so you don’t miss any important notifications from the group.

Finally, make sure everyone knows where you’re all planning to go. Google and Apple Maps are a great way to make sure everyone ends up where they’re supposed to be. If you do get separated in a crowd, try using the “share my location” feature with the group so they can find you and regroup. If plans change, make sure everyone knows and is in agreement.

5. Have an out

It’s perfectly okay to decline an invitation to do something if it doesn’t feel right. Remember that you can always make up an excuse to get out of an uncomfortable situation or leave a party if it feels like it’s too much or is getting out of hand.

If you want to go home or leave a particular party, let your friends know you’re ready to go and ask someone to go with you. Remember that you can always make an excuse to leave a party, event or situation. For instance, you can say that you have work in the morning, a family emergency or that you aren’t feeling well.

Support resources

Resources are available for students who have experienced identity-based harassment or sexual misconduct, want to support friends and survivors, or want to learn more about prevention. Students often reach out to friends or family members first when something bad happens. Having the skills to respond effectively without blame or judgment is important to keep in mind. Learn more skills for supporting your friends after a traumatic event.

Here are some resources available to support those who have been affected.

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)

OVA provides free and confidential information, consultation, support, advocacy and short-term, trauma-focused counseling services for students, grad students, faculty and staff who have experienced a traumatic, disturbing or life-disruptive event, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, and identity-based harassment.

Confidential resource

Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC)

OIEC offers educational sessions and implements university policies and processes around sexual assault, intimate partner abuse and stalking, and other forms of discrimination and harassment. If you or someone you know at CU has been impacted, reports can be filed online. Anonymously reporting is an option as well.

Don't Ignore It

Explore your options for seeking confidential support, reporting concerns and learning skills for helping others. If something seems off, it probably is—don't ignore it.

Mandatory reporting policy

All university employees who have the authority to hire, promote, discipline, evaluate, grade, formally advise or direct faculty, staff or students are considered "responsible employees" and are required to report alleged misconduct to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). This includes, but is not limited to resident advisors, teaching assistants, professors, graduate instructors, academic advisors, coaches or other university employees with supervisory authority.

Any sexual misconduct, intimate partner abuse (including dating and domestic violence), stalking, protected-class discrimination or harassment, or related retaliation disclosed to a responsible employee must be reported to OIEC. The person impacted has the choice about whether and how they want to proceed. Reporting is required to help ensure that people impacted by misconduct understand their rights and options and the resources available.

Note: Confidential campus resources are exempt from CU Boulder’s mandatory reporting policy, including the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA), Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) and Ombuds.

Learn more about mandatory reporting

Halloween celebrations that involve alcohol and other substances can also make it easier for problematic behaviors and unwelcome advances to go unnoticed. Here are some tips to stay safe and have fun over Halloween weekend.

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6 tips to help prevent sexual assault

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

6 tips to help prevent sexual assault Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/25/2023 - 00:00

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4 ways to look out for your friends this weekend

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 17:27:15 +0000

4 ways to look out for your friends this weekend Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/07/2023 - 10:27

De-stressing and letting loose with friends can be fun. However, it’s also important to keep your group together and ensure everyone makes it home safely. Here are some ways you can look out for your friends this weekend.

1. Nail down your plans

Who’s in your group? Identify who you want to go out with, and make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of what parties you want to attend or houses you want to go to. It’s usually best to choose a group of friends that you know will take care of you even if you’ve had too much to drink.

Stick together. Make a commitment to stick together and agree on how you will meet back up if you get separated. This can decrease the chances that someone in your group will have to rely on lesser-known friends or strangers to get home.

Check in with each other. It’s also important to establish a way to check in with each other throughout the night. Save each other’s cell phone numbers and consider starting a group chat, so you can communicate with each other in case someone needs help. You may also want to make sure that everyone has their sound on, so they don’t miss any important notifications from the group.

Share your location. Finally, make sure everyone knows where you’re all going. Google and Apple Maps are a great way to make sure everyone ends up where they’re supposed to be. If you do get separated, try using the “share my location” feature with the group, so they can find you and regroup. If plans change, make sure everyone knows and is in agreement.

2. Keep each other accountable

If you’re planning to drink (or use substances), make a commitment to watch out for each other and keep each other accountable. It can be helpful to set a limit before you go out, so your friends know when they may need to step in. In fact, 91% of students find it acceptable to let a friend know when they’ve had too much to drink.

You may also want to make an agreement with your group about discouraging each other from doing embarrassing or dangerous things at parties. For instance, if someone wants to ‘table smash’ you may want to pull them aside to share your concerns or pull them into a different activity. Similarly, if someone has drunk too much, it’s likely time to switch out their drinks for water or help them get home.

3. Know your out

Create a code word, sign or text emoji that means ‘get me out of this situation!’ Proactively keep an eye out for sketchy situations, especially if someone is intoxicated and may not be able to communicate their discomfort with the group.

This can include things like someone pursuing one of your friends in an unwanted or predatory way. Watch for people who hit on the drunkest person at a party, encourage others to drink, try to get a drunk person alone or away from their friends or are persistent about pursuing someone sexually.

If you see someone in a potentially harmful or high-risk situation, you can do something to intervene. Bystanders are particularly important in situations where someone is being targeted because of their level of intoxication, or if a person has been intentionally drugged at a party. Remember that impaired or incapacitated people are usually unable to protect or advocate for themselves.

4. Get home safe

Make sure everyone gets home safely.

Commit to not ditching someone if they have too much to drink or become unwilling to stick with your plans to stay together. Consider whether someone offering to walk a person home or look after someone who has had too much to drink is trustworthy and being helpful or is potentially looking for access to someone who is vulnerable.

Never leave someone behind with casual friends, people you just met or don’t know very well, especially when someone has been drinking or using other substances.

Resources

NightRide

Looking for a ride home? Give CU NightRide a try! This student-operated program provides free night-time transportation for all CU Boulder students, staff and faculty.

Free naloxone

Naloxone is an FDA-approved nasal spray that can be used to temporarily reverse opioid overdoses. Students can pick up naloxone for free on the third floor of Wardenburg Health Center.

Safer Night Out Buff Box

Students living in residence halls can order a free Buff Box full of safer night out supplies, including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, hydration packs and more.

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)

OVA provides free, confidential counseling, advocacy, information and referrals for students, staff and faculty. They specialize in addressing current, past, experienced and witnessed traumatic events, including sexual assault, violence, crime and more.

De-stressing and letting loose with friends can be fun. Here are some tips to make sure you and your friends make it home safe this weekend.

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7 things to know about drug-facilitated sexual assault

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:11:11 +0000

7 things to know about drug-facilitated sexual assault Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/01/2023 - 10:11

The reality is that most sexual assaults are carried out by friends, acquaintances, partners, exes or by a person someone has met online or at a party. Perpetrators often rely on substances (with or without a person’s knowledge) to commit sexual assault.

Here are seven things you should know about drug-facilitated sexual assault and drink spiking.

1. What is drug-facilitated sexual assault?

There are two primary ways that drug-facilitated sexual assault occurs.

A person takes advantage of someone’s voluntary use of alcohol or other drugs.
A person intentionally forces someone to consume alcohol or other drugs with or without their knowledge to manipulate the situation and commit sexual assault. This can include tactics like spiking drinks.

Many survivors have strong feelings of self-blame after a sexual assault, even when someone takes advantage of them through the use of alcohol or other drugs. It’s important to remember that even when someone chooses to use substances, they are not giving up their bodily autonomy or choosing to be violated. The blame for sexual assault always rests with the person who committed the assault.

2. What substances can be used to facilitate sexual assault?

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in drug-facilitated sexual assault, but other substances can also be slipped into alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. This is often referred to as drink spiking.

Substances that are often used to spike drinks include:

Prescription drugs like sleep aids, anxiety medication, muscle relaxers and/or tranquilizers.
Over- the- counter medications like Benadryl, which can increase intoxication when mixed with alcohol.
Street drugs, like GHB, Rohypnol (‘roofies’), ecstasy, molly and/or ketamine (K), which can be added to drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) without changing the color, flavor or odor of the beverage.

3. What should you look out for?

If you’re at a party or out with friends, it’s important to keep an eye out for sketchy situations that may indicate that someone is trying to facilitate sexual assault through the use of alcohol or other drugs.

Watch out for someone who is:

Coercing or pressuring someone beyond their comfort zone to consume more alcohol or drugs than they are comfortable with to make them vulnerable.
Initiating sexual contact with someone because they are intoxicated and less likely to resist.
Isolating someone who has had too much to drink or is having a negative drug experience to take advantage of them.
Not telling someone what is in their drink or the type of dosage of drug they are ingesting to incapacitate a person and gain access to them.

4. What are some common symptoms someone may experience?

Many symptoms of drugging are similar to those someone might experience from excessive drinking or purposefully mixing substances. This is because people can easily lose track of how much they’ve consumed. Additionally, drinking high-proof alcohol (e.g., vodka, tequila, whiskey, etc.) with a mixer or something sweet can increase the likelihood of someone becoming intoxicated quickly.

Drugging often results in sudden changes in how a person feels or behaves. These symptoms typically occur quickly even when someone has consumed very little or no alcohol.

Signs of drugging to watch for:

Sudden onset of feeling drunk after having consumed very little or no alcohol
Sudden difficulty breathing
Sudden dizziness, disorientation or blurred vision
Sudden nausea
Sudden body temperature that may result in sweating or teeth chattering
Waking up with no memory or missing large portions of memory

5. What should you do if you believe someone has been drugged?

If you notice any of the symptoms listed above in yourself or someone else, find a trusted person immediately. Friends and bystanders are particularly important in situations when someone is vulnerable due to their level of intoxication, or if a person has been intentional incapacitated by drugs in an attempt to facilitate sexual assault or other crimes. Impaired and incapacitated people are unable to advocate for and protect themselves.

Learn effective intervention strategies

6. How can you preserve evidence?

If you or someone you know suspects that they have been drugged, steps can be taken to preserve evidence for a possible investigation. Many of these drugs leave the body quickly (typically within 12 to 72 hours). If someone can’t go to the hospital immediately, they can save their urine in a clean, sealable container as soon as possible and place it in the fridge or freezer.

Find support resources or a medical center that can provide sexual assault forensic exams (SANE) and test blood and urine for substances.

7. What support resources are available?

If you believe that you have been drugged or sexually assaulted, there are resources available to help.

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)
OVA provides free and confidential information, consultation, support, advocacy and short-term, trauma-focused counseling services for students, staff and faculty who have experienced and/or witnessed a traumatic or disturbing event, including sexual assault.

Confidential resource

Don’t Ignore It
The Don’t Ignore It website provides information about reporting, getting support and helping a friend. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Don’t ignore it.

Medical Services
Medical Services at Wardenburg Health Center provides urine testing for drugs, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC)
OIEC implements and enforces university policies around sexual assault, intimate partner abuse and stalking, and other forms of sexual misconduct. If you or someone you know at CU has been impacted, reports can be filed online. Anonymously reporting is an option as well.

Police
If you would like to have your case investigated, you can contact your local police department. You can call their direct or visit a station in person. You can also contact CU Boulder Police (CUPD) for support. Call or text 911, call the CUPD non-emergency line at 303-492-6666 or visit the website.

Support for international students, staff and faculty
Individuals who have experienced certain crimes, such as sexual assault or domestic violence, may be eligible for U.S. immigration relief through the U visa or VAWA self-petition, regardless of their immigration status. Please speak with an immigration attorney or a non-profit organization that assists immigrants to learn more about the eligibility requirements, application process, and timeline. Learn more about free or low-cost legal immigration services.

Alcohol and other substances are often used to commit sexual assault. Here are some things you should know about drug-facilitated sexual assault and drink spiking.

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