We all can make a difference in stopping sexual violence. Most sexual assaults and rape are committed by someone the victim knows, not by a stranger, and many involve situations where drinking and drug use is occurring. Here are some important tips to remember:

1. Talk to your friends honestly and openly about sexual assault.
2. Don’t just be a bystander. If you see something, intervene in any way you can.
3. Trust your gut. If something looks like it might be a bad situation, it probably is.
4. Be direct. Ask someone who looks like they may need help if they are okay.
5. Get someone to help you if you see something—like a friend, a bartender, or host to help step in.
6. Keep an eye on someone who has had too much to drink.
7. If you see someone who is too intoxicated to consent, enlist their friends to help them leave safely.
8. Recognize the potential danger of someone who talks about planning to target another person at a party.
9. Be aware if someone is deliberately trying to intoxicate, isolate, or corner someone else.
10. Get in the way by creating a distraction, drawing attention to the situation, or separating them.
11. Understand that if someone does not or cannot consent to sex, it’s rape.
12. Never blame the victim.

 To join thousands of people across the country in signing a pledge to end sexual violence, go to http://www.itsonus.org.  

 To learn more about what you can do, check out the following resources:

• Circle of 6: A Free App to Keep You Safe
• Step Up: Sexual Assault Bystander Intervention: More Strategies to Stop Sexual Violence
• That’s Not Cool: Dealing with Sexual Harassment in a Mobile World
• Know Your IX: Information on Title IX

 

If you have additional questions, please contact the Title IX Team at TitleIX@Missioncollege.edu