By: Abby Hawkins and Kaylan Cox
College is freedom at last. You feel as if you are invincible. Parents can’t watch what you’re doing so you can behave however you want. Total bliss. That’s the bright side of college. But for girls, it can be a little different.
Teenagers, especially girls, are constantly told to be safe when going out, especially if alcohol is present.but it’s not just at college where sexual assault happens. “Approximately 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.”. Rape is very common whether it’s enforced with drugs or alcohol. “Every 107 seconds, a sexual assault occurs,” reports RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), and “1:6 or 17.7 million women in America have been a victim of attempted or complete rape.” Rape happens most often at drunken high school and college parties, and all too often is assisted by date rape drugs.
The definition of date rape drugs accoring to Medicinenet.com is “…drugs used to assist in a sexual assault, which is any type of sexual activity a person does not agree to.” The site adds that “the length of time that the effects last varies…Alcohol makes the drugs even stronger and can cause serious health problems.” Parents always nag about being aware of your surroundings and where your drink is, but it only takes a few seconds for a drink to be spiked and for the drinker to become a victim.
A teacher at Ardrey Kell relayed her almost life-changing experience with a potential sexual assault. Last winter break, she decided to go out with some friends who were in a relationship; she was going to be the third wheel.When they arrived at the restaurant, the couple went straight to the dance floor, and trying not to ruin the fun, she went along. In the midst of dancing, she met someone. “His name was Russell. He put his name into my phone,” she said, “and he offered to buy me a drink.” She added, “A nice guy was offering to buy me a drink, why not?” Those thoughts soon changed.
Her last memory of the night was walking back to the dance floor and looking down at her phone, noticing the time was 11 p.m. Fast forward to 3 a.m when she awakened at her friend’s house with no recollection of how she had arrived there. Confused, but still in one piece, she went back to sleep. Waking up for a second time, she saw her friend standing in the kitchen. Bewildered, she asked what had happened; there was a black hole in her memory that she needed recovered. “You were all over him, which isn’t like you,” her friend told her. “I knew something was up.”
Watching her every move, the friends noticed that Russell was trying very hard to leave with her. That’s when the two came in and finally put an end to the situation. “They had to help me into the car, they said I was stumbling everywhere, but I wasn’t drunk,” the teacher said.
“The not knowing, not being able to recall the night was what really scared me,” she added. “The message I have for girls going into college is to not go out by youself; go with some friends.”
The lesson to high school and college girls is that sexual assault can happen nowadays and it can end badly. Always go out with people that you trust, especially if you take part in activities that alter your personality, like drinking. Always be aware when you’re going out, and never think that nothing can happen to you.
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