As the year kicks off for college students, so does a period of increased campus sexual assaults called “the red zone.”
According to a study from the Journal of American College Health, 50% of campus sexual assaults happen between the start of classes in August and Thanksgiving break in November.
Students arriving on campus for the first time are in an unfamiliar environment. And that can make them more vulnerable. Many universities warn students of the red zone and urge them to take precautions like watching their drink and avoiding walking alone.
But Monika Johnson-Hostler, a state representative and the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, says prevention goes beyond the individual to a shared group responsibility.
“What does it look like to start having conversations with your friends early about how we're going to keep each other safe and create a culture of communication with each other so that if you're feeling harmed, you have a sign to say that or you have a way out."
Johnson-Hostler says having open conversations helps shift a culture that can perpetuate sexual assault on campus.