Tips
- Sexual contact requires mutual and Affirmative Consent. An incapacitated person (for example, a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol) may be incapable of giving consent. Whether an intoxicated person (as a result of using alcohol or other drugs) is incapacitated depends on the extent to which the alcohol or other drugs impact the person’s decision-making capacity, awareness of consequences, and ability to make fully informed judgments.
- No one deserves to be sexually assaulted, stalked or victimized in any way.
- Don’t engage in any behavior that may be considered Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking or any other form of Sexual Misconduct or violence.
- Never use force, coercion, threats, alcohol or other drugs to engage in sexual activity.
- Take responsibility for your actions.
- Avoid alcohol and other drugs.
- Remember “no” means “No!” and “stop” means “Stop!”
- Report incidents of violence (including coercion) to law enforcement and campus authorities.
- Discuss Sexual Misconduct, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking with friends—speak out against non-consensual sex or violence and clear up misconceptions.
- Don’t mistake submission or silence for Affirmative Consent.
What you can do to help minimize your risk of becoming a victim
- Be aware. Does your partner: Threaten to hurt you or your children? Say it’s your fault if he or she hits you and then promises it won’t happen again (but it does)? Put you down in public? Force you to have sex when you don’t want to? Follow you? Send you unwanted messages and gifts?
- Be assertive. Speak up.
- Stay sober and watch out for dates and/or anyone who tries to get you drunk or high.
- Clearly communicate limits to partners, friends, and acquaintances.
- Never leave a party with someone you don’t know well and trust.
- Trust your feelings; if it feels wrong, it probably is.
- Learn all you can and talk with your friends. Help them stay safe.
- Report incidents of violence to law enforcement and campus authorities.
What you can do if you are a victim, in general
- Go to a safe place as soon as possible.
- Preserve evidence.
- Report the incident to University Police or local law enforcement.
- Report the incident to your campus Title IX Coordinator.
- Call/visit the campus Sexual Assault Victim's Advocate.
- Call a Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking hotline.
- Call a friend or family member for help.
- Know that you are not at fault. You did not cause the abuse to occur and you are not responsible for someone else’s violent behavior.
LGBTQ community
Members of the LGBTQ community, or someone who does not identify as LGBTQ but experiences a same-sex assault, can face some unique obstacles when seeking assistance after a sexual assault, including:
- Having to "out" themselves or their assailant
- Being asked to explain the assault in detail
- Fear of having the assault downplayed or viewed as not a "real" assault
- Fear of being blamed for the assault or preceived as "deserving" it
- Fear about being mistakenly perceived as the assailant
- Worries about perpetuating negative stereotypes of the LGBTQ community
- Fear of creating a rift in a local LGBTQ community if people "take sides"
- Concerns about homophobia from legal and medical personnel
- Fear of questions about one's sexual identity
The issues listed about are very real concerns that member of the LGBTQ community might face. There are many resources on the CSUMB campus and in the local community to help with recovery.