Every day, I walk into the College Center to get my sandwich from Handcrafted. On my way there, I pass maybe three or more signs that remind me, “We are in the Red Zone.” It has big red letters, images of broken glass, and a QR code to learn more. I feel no safer remembering that statistically, I am likely to experience a sexual assault before Thanksgiving. I just want a turkey sandwich.
The Red Zone is the period between Orientation and Thanksgiving Break which students are most likely to experience sexual assault. According to the Office of Student Wellness Education and Violence Prevention (WEVP) website, “The campaign is built on the understanding that new students are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of factors, including navigating new social environments, increased peer pressure, and a lack of established support systems.”
I’m sure you, too, have passed the Red Zone signs. And, if you’re anything like my friends, you are confused about what the Red Zone is, and why you’re in it. But you do not care enough to scan a QR code. This campaign has been active for months, and I have only met one other student who knew what it was. Unfortunately, an important conversation has not been communicated effectively.
Scholars and Educators on violence prevention have written about the outdated, victim-blaming nature of “The Red Zone” since 2016. By providing tips to avoid assault, it creates the narrative that “if you only follow a list of what not to do in order to not get assaulted, you won’t,” according to Lea Hegge, a SA prevention trainer for The Green Dot.
However, the WEVP website states, “The campaign is not about telling students what not to do; it is about empowering our community to create a safe environment for all.” Then why pick a campaign that has historically used that narrative? The Red Zone is about telling students what not to do when they go out on the weekends, even if the website claims otherwise.
I would like to have faith that WEVP “challenge[s] harmful stereotypes and myths about sexual violence and promote[s] a culture of respect, enthusiastic consent, and proactive bystander intervention” as they claim they do. This culture could be cultivated during their workshops, if students witness it. But, a significant number of students are not part of organizations that request these workshops, leaving their education to their own curiosity.
This culture is not present within the campaign website itself. What is missing is the answer to the question: What can I do? The central questions posed on the website are “What causes rates of sexual assault to increase during the Red Zone?”, “What groups are most vulnerable?”, and “Where can I find more resources and support?” I was optimistic for the last question, until I clicked on it. Instead, it was just a list of resources if you were already sexually assaulted. The resources they provide are not about prevention, but instead accountability. I am not arguing that these questions are unimportant, but the Office provides no resources that foster change.
Even if they did have resources available, the use of a website structure is flawed in itself. Because let’s be honest, individuals who are privileged to not think about their level of social power in spaces when they go out on weekends are not the ones who will voluntarily take the time to scan a QR code and educate themselves about this period of vulnerability. And those are the students who have the power to change the climate.
So, unfortunately, not only has this campaign failed to reach students, as they are unsure if the Red Zone has to do with communism or NFL highlights, but it failed to provide students with any real direction on how to change campus climates. Hopefully, the Office of Student Wellness Education and Violence Prevention can reexamine its future campaigns to help upperclassmen take charge in fostering a safe environment for underclassmen while navigating new social spaces.
Junior Lily Andrey is Editor in Chief. Her email is landrey@fandm.edu.