Starting college is a big deal.
For many students, it is the first time living away from home, making their own schedules, meeting entirely new people, going to their first college parties, joining organizations, dating, exploring relationships, and figuring out who they are as young adults.
There is a lot to be excited about. But there is also a period of the college year when sexual violence tends to increase. It is commonly known as the “Red Zone.”
What is the Red Zone?
The Red Zone generally refers to the period from the beginning of the fall semester through Thanksgiving break. Research and campus safety organizations have identified this as a period when sexual assaults on college campuses occur at disproportionately high rates, with some commonly cited research finding that more than half of campus sexual assaults occur during this period.
That statistic can be alarming, but understanding why this period can carry increased risk is more useful than simply being afraid of it.
The beginning of the school year brings together a unique combination of circumstances: new students, new social environments, increased parties and social events, unfamiliar surroundings, and opportunities for people to take advantage of others.
And for many students, it is their first time navigating these situations independently.
Why does the risk increase?
New environments and new independence
For first-year students and transfers especially, college can mean entering an entirely unfamiliar environment. Students may not know the campus very well yet, may not know which resources are available to them, and may still be figuring out who they can trust.
At the same time, students are often experiencing a new level of independence. There may be fewer familiar adults around, fewer established routines, and more opportunities to make decisions for themselves.
That independence is a good thing. But learning how to navigate new environments and relationships takes time.
More social events and parties
The beginning of the semester is packed with opportunities to meet people. Welcome events, parties, Greek recruitment, sporting events, gatherings with friends, and other activities can make the first weeks of college incredibly exciting.
They can also mean increased access to alcohol and other substances.
Alcohol itself does not cause sexual assault. People who drink are not responsible for someone else’s decision to sexually assault them. But alcohol can affect someone’s ability to communicate, recognize danger, make decisions, or give consent –and someone who is significantly impaired may be unable to consent to sexual activity.
To be very clear: alcohol does not cause rape. People who choose to sexually assault others cause rape. Alcohol may be used by perpetrators to facilitate sexual assault because intoxication can make someone more vulnerable, impair their ability to communicate or resist, or make it easier for someone to ignore their boundaries. That is a choice made by the perpetrator – not by the person who decided to have a drink.
You should be able to go to a party, have a few drinks, dance, flirt, meet someone new, or simply have fun with your friends without expecting that you might be sexually assaulted. Choosing to drink is never an invitation to be assaulted, and being intoxicated never makes someone responsible for another person’s decision to harm them.
Social pressure and changing boundaries
College is a time when many people are figuring out what they want in friendships, dating, sex, and relationships.
Students may feel pressure to fit in, impress their peers, seem experienced, or go along with something because they don’t want to make a situation awkward.
But you never owe anyone sexual attention, affection, or access to your body.
And consent isn’t something that you give once and then automatically give forever.
Consent should be freely given, informed, and ongoing. It can be withdrawn at any time, and consenting to one sexual activity does not mean consenting to another. A previous relationship, flirting, kissing, or having sex in the past does not automatically mean someone has consented to sex now.
Predatory behavior
It is also important to acknowledge something that conversations about the Red Zone sometimes overlook: some people intentionally take advantage of vulnerable situations.
A person who targets someone who is intoxicated, isolated, new to campus, unfamiliar with their surroundings, or otherwise vulnerable is responsible for that choice.
Sexual assault is not caused by a student’s outfit, their decision to attend a party, how much they drank, whether they flirted with someone, or whether they went home with someone.
The responsibility belongs to the person who chose to violate another person’s boundaries.
Let’s talk about alcohol – and some common myths
Alcohol frequently becomes part of conversations about sexual assault on college campuses, and it is important to separate facts from victim-blaming myths.
Myth: “If someone gets drunk and something happens, they should have known better.”
Fact: Being drunk does not give someone else permission to sexually assault you. A person who is significantly intoxicated may be unable to give meaningful consent. Voluntarily drinking alcohol does not transfer responsibility for another person’s actions onto the person who was drinking.
Myth: “If they were drinking, they consented to sex.”
Fact: Drinking is not consent. Neither is flirting, kissing, dancing, going to someone’s room, or agreeing to one sexual activity. Consent has to be present for the specific sexual activity taking place.
Myth: “If they don’t say no, that means they said yes.”
Fact: Consent is more than the absence of a “no.” It should be an active, freely given yes. If someone is unconscious, asleep, or too intoxicated to understand what is happening or communicate a choice, they cannot provide meaningful consent.
Myth: “If someone really didn’t want it, they would fight back.”
Fact: People respond to traumatic situations in many different ways. Fighting back is not a requirement for something to be sexual assault. Someone may freeze, become quiet, try to appease the person hurting them, or be physically unable to respond.
And perhaps the most important fact of all:
Nothing someone does makes them responsible for being sexually assaulted.
So, what can we actually do?
Knowing about the Red Zone isn’t about telling college students to stop having fun.
It’s about giving students the information they need to make informed decisions, recognize unhealthy or unsafe situations, and look out for one another.
Know what consent looks like.
Ask.
Listen to the answer.
Respect the answer.
Check in when circumstances change.
And remember that consent can be withdrawn at any time.
If you’re unsure whether someone is able to consent, pause. Sex is never so urgent that you can’t wait for a clear, enthusiastic yes.
Look out for your friends.
If you notice a friend who seems uncomfortable, extremely intoxicated, separated from their friends, or being pressured by someone, check in.
You don’t have to be a hero or put yourself in danger. Sometimes intervention can be as simple as:
“Hey, want to come with us?”
“Are you okay?”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
“Let’s get you home.”
Looking out for each other is everyone’s responsibility.
Know where your resources are.
Before you need them, find out what resources are available on your campus and in your community.
Know where you can go if you experience sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, harassment, or another form of harm. Save important phone numbers in your phone. Learn whether your campus has confidential advocates (at FHSU, CCC, and FHSU Tech NC & FHSU Tech NW – you do!), counseling services, medical resources, or Title IX support.
And remember: you do not have to know exactly what happened or what you want to do next before reaching out for help.
If something happens to you
If you experience sexual assault or another form of sexual violence, it is not your fault.
You don’t have to prove that what happened was “bad enough.” You don’t have to have made perfect choices. You don’t have to remember every detail. You don’t have to report to law enforcement to deserve support.
And you don’t have to figure everything out alone.
Options Domestic & Sexual Violence Services is here to support survivors. Our advocates can provide confidential support, help you understand your options, connect you with resources, and walk alongside you as you decide what comes next. Anniston, our Community Engagement and Sexual Violence Response Coordinator has office hours on FHSU campus every first and third Thursday of the month, and every second and fourth Thursday at CCC. She is also available at any time upon request to meet with you.
College should be a time to explore – not a time to live in fear.
The Red Zone is important to understand, but it shouldn’t define the college experience.
College can be fun. It can be messy and exciting and confusing and transformative. You get to meet new people, try new things, make mistakes, build relationships, discover what you like, and figure out who you are.
Consent should be part of that exploration.
Knowing how to communicate your boundaries (and respect someone else’s) isn’t about taking the fun out of college. It’s about making sure everyone has the freedom to enjoy their experiences without having their boundaries violated.
So as another school year begins, let’s talk about consent. Let’s look out for our friends. Let’s challenge victim-blaming when we hear it. Let’s make sure students know where to go for help.
And most importantly, let’s create college communities where everyone understands one simple thing:
Your body belongs to you. Their body belongs to them. Consent matters.
If you need any additional information, have a question, or have a concern, feel free to reach out to Options at our 24-hour toll-free helpline 800-794-4624. You can also reach an advocate via text by texting HOPE to 847411 or clicking 24-Hour Chat with Options.
Written by Anniston Weber
This grant project is supported by the State General Fund for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, sub-grant number 26-SGF-07, as administered by the Kansas Governor’s Grants Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Kansas Governor.