Resource
Students across the country are talking about the Red Zone. Learn what it is, how it occurs, and what you can do about it.
This resource contains information about sexual violence, prevalence rates, and tactics used to perpetrate harm.
The period of time in the first four months of college - when more than half of sexual assaults on college campuses occur, and first-year students are especially vulnerable.
Matthew Kimble PhD, Andrada D. Neacsiu BA, William F. Flack PhD & Jessica Horner BA (2008) Risk of Unwanted Sex for College Women: Evidence for a Red Zone, Journal of American College Health, 57:3, 331-338, DOI: 10.3200/JACH.57.3.331-338. Retrieved from: RAINN Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics
Research at Brown suggests that people who perpetrate harm are more likely to target cisgender women, trans, genderqueer, and nonbinary students.
While a person of any identity can cause or experience harm, most of the people who perpetrate sexual violence are cisgender men and is usually someone the survivor knows. This is due to gendered expectations (like hyper masculinity) that affect everyone, including men, and we are all responsible for interrupting them, as well as other systems of violence and oppression, whenever possible.
8 out of 10 incidents of sexual violence are committed by someone the person knows, not by a stranger.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2010-2016 (2017).
We can prevent violence by respecting consent at all times and modeling respectful behaviors. We can also prevent harm by intervening, not only in moments of high risk, but in everyday moments of stereotypes that can lead to more explicit violence. Use one of the 5 D's below to intervene and keep our communities safe.
Take an indirect approach. Draw attention to something else. Example: “Hey, isn’t that the______________?”
If It’s safe to do so. Confront the situation. Be firm, clear, and concise. Example: “They’ve made it clear they’re uncomfortable. Please leave them alone.”
Seek help from another person. Example: “I saw someone harassing _____. Can you help?
Document the incident. Keep a safe distance, record date and time, who is present, film or screenshot incident and/or landmarks. Always ask the person who was harmed what they want you to do with any documentation. Never share it without their consent.
If It’s safe to do so. Check in with the person being harmed later. Use the support skills we will discuss in our next section on supporting survivors.
Consider your safety when intervening. Choose the strategy that is safest for that moment.
We want safer communities, but it can be hard to know when to act or what to say to our friends, roommates, group members, teammates, etc when we notice them engaging in harmful behaviors.
Read below to learn some of the red flags for concerning behavior and then keep reading for strategies on how to talk about it.
Targeting vulnerable people
Seeking out isolated students who haven't formed a social group yet, younger students, those who are unfamiliar with the campus and its resources, who may be experiencing party or hookup culture for the first time, students who experience oppression of all kinds.
Using deception and entitlement
Lying, misrepresenting, manipulating, demanding secrecy, and/or expressing entitlement to sex. This can occur within an ongoing relationship, not in just one interaction, such as when people are communicating on dating apps, texting, are acquaintances, friends, or in romantic relationships. This behavior is not always present at the beginning and can escalate over time.
Using inappropriate power dynamics
Seeking situations or relationships where they have more power due to age, seniority, experience, connections, wealth, access to desired spaces, etc. and using this to gain a person's trust, fill a need, isolate them from their supports, or other abuses of power.
Targeting the use of drugs/alcohol
Pushing a person to become incapacitated or targeting someone who is already incapacitated, because they are less likely to resist any force or coercion. Someone may also use drugs or alcohol themselves to lower their own inhibitions, making it easier for them to engage in aggressive acts of harm.
Using tactics to maintain control
Trying to make someone feel guilty, fearful, or ashamed to get what they want. Ex. saying they can’t sleep until they get what they want, or threatening to share sensitive pictures.
Non-consensual behavior and boundary violations
Someone disregards consent or disrespects boundaries, even in non-sexual situations. Remember, everyday moments create the “foundation” for more severe incidents. You can help create less social acceptance of harmful norms by talking to people about any non-consensual behavior they are doing.
Since this kind of direct intervention can be really difficult, here are six strategies to share with you for talking to someone about their actions in an effective way.
Personalizing the issues and its effects so that it’s easier for the other parties to understand and recognize as harmful; Prevents someone from distancing themselves from the impact of their actions or dehumanizing others. EXAMPLES: “I hope no one ever talks about you like that.”
“What if someone treated your best friend that way?”
Focusing on feelings rather than placing blame or criticizing others; state your own feelings name the behavior, state ways the other parties can respond.
Only do this if you feel comfortable with it. Humor can cut tension in a rough situation, but it is important not to trivialize the bad behavior or mock your own reaction to it.
Use your position as a community member to hold them accountable and ask the hard questions. Show that you care and want them to change or want the issue to change. Emphasize that you come from a good place and that you hope they’ll listen to you
Identify concerning behaviors, communicate clear expectations about what needs to change, and figure out what steps can be taken to get there.
Work with the person or community to plan for change. Work with someone’s values to motivate action. Collaboration takes the burden off of individuals to address harm in our communities. Groups of people tend to have more leverage. It is important to think about who in a community might have more leverage from the individual causing harm.
Since each situation is different, and every one of us is different, we may choose to use some strategies over others. Consider your safety, center the agency of the person who was harmed, and decide the strategy (or multiple strategies) that feels right for you.
We want to prevent harm from happening and it is important for us to know how to support those who have been hurt. Supporting people who have experienced sexual, relationship, or gender-based violence is also a crucial part of harm prevention. Survivors are most likely to tell a peer first (before a professional) and how a support person responds can have a significant impact on someone’s healing process. If you or someone you know has been harmed and needs help, learn about your support options or call 401-863-6000 for immediate 24/7 confidential crisis response.
Green flags are the signs of healthy & fulfilling ways to relate to others. Treating each other well is a crucial part of how we can have fulfilling experiences, model healthy behavior, and keep each other safe.
Let's create communities full of green flags at Brown.
More information about how you can get involved in preventing sexual, relationship, and gender-based harm at Brown.