Preventing Sexual Assault: Precautions Matter

At the start of my freshman year of college, my peers and I attended several orientation events, including a series of brief lectures related to campus dos and don’ts. One of these was about sexual assault — specifically, how to avoid it. Before beginning, the speaker told us that oftentimes, conveying advice about preventing sexual assault can sound like victim-blaming, but that the blame is always 100 percent on the perpetrator. Then, listeners and administrators alike applauded the speaker. Following that, the speaker moved on, and nobody ever actually told us how to avoid being sexually assaulted.

This sort of lesson is dangerous and misleading. Our culture may be able to sway perpetrators from committing atrocious crimes, but evildoers have always existed and won’t disappear tomorrow. So, unless human nature changes, we should treat sexual assault as a problem whose solution is twofold: stopping perpetrators and preventing people from becoming victims. By downplaying the latter, we strip people of their autonomy by falsely telling them that they have no control. But there are steps students can take to keep themselves safe. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) advises alcohol safety and on-campus safety tips, such as having exit plans for unsafe situations, going to parties with trusted groups, protecting your drink, and knowing your limits.

About the Author

Sahar Tartak

Sahar Tartak is a former summer intern at National Review. A student at Yale University, Sahar is active in Jewish life and free speech on campus.

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At the start of my freshman year of college, my peers and I attended several orientation events, including a series of brief lectures related to campus dos and don’ts. One of these was about sexual assault — specifically, how to avoid it. Before beginning, the speaker told us that oftentimes, conveying advice about preventing sexual assault can sound like victim-blaming, but that the blame is always 100 percent on the perpetrator. Then, listeners and administrators alike applauded the speaker. Following that, the speaker moved on, and nobody ever actually told us how to avoid being sexually assaulted.

This sort of lesson is dangerous and misleading. Our culture may be able to sway perpetrators from committing atrocious crimes, but evildoers have always existed and won’t disappear tomorrow. So, unless human nature changes, we should treat sexual assault as a problem whose solution is twofold: stopping perpetrators and preventing people from becoming victims. By downplaying the latter, we strip people of their autonomy by falsely telling them that they have no control. But there are steps students can take to keep themselves safe. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) advises alcohol safety and on-campus safety tips, such as having exit plans for unsafe situations, going to parties with trusted groups, protecting your drink, and knowing your limits.