2024 ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT 58 Know your resources. Who should you contact if you or a friend needs help? Where should you go? Locate resources such as the campus health center, campus police department and a local sexual assault service provider. Notice where emergency phones are located on campus, and program the campus security number into your cell phone for easy access. Stay alert. When you’re moving around on campus or in the surrounding neighborhood, be aware of your surroundings. If you’re alone, only use headphones in one ear to stay aware of your surroundings. Don’t load yourself down with packages or bags as this can make you appear more vulnerable. Walk with purpose. Even if you don’t know where you are going, act like you do. Try to avoid isolated areas. It is more difficult to get help if no one is around. Request a Security Escort. Consider inviting a friend to join you or asking Public Safety for a walking security escort. (Call (610) 683-4002 anytime.) Be careful about posting your location. Many social media sites, like Facebook and Foursquare, use geolocation to publicly share your location. Consider disabling this function and reviewing other social media settings. Make others earn your trust. A college environment can foster a false sense of security. They may feel like fast friends, but give people time to earn your trust before relying on them. Have a Backup Plan. Spend some time thinking about back-up plans for potentially sticky situations. If your phone dies, do you have a few numbers memorized to get help? Do you have emergency cash in case you can’t use a credit card? Do you have the address to your residence hall or college memorized? If you drive, is there a spare key hidden, gas in your car, and a set of jumper cables? Be secure. Lock your door and windows when you’re asleep and when you leave the room. If people constantly prop open the main door to the dorm or apartment, tell security or a trusted authority figure. SAFETY IN SOCIAL SETTINGS It’s possible to relax and have a good time while still making safety a priority. Consider these tips for staying safe and looking out for your friends in social settings. Make a plan. If you’re going to a Party, go with people you trust. Agree to watch out for each other and plan to leave together. If your plans change, make sure to touch base with the other people in your group. Don’t leave someone stranded in an unfamiliar or unsafe situation. Protect your drink. Don’t leave your drink unattended, and watch out for your friends’ drinks if you can. If you go to the bathroom or step outside, take the drink with you or toss it out. Drink from unopened containers or drinks you watched being made and poured. It’s not always possible to know if something has been added to someone’s drink. In drug-facilitated sexual assault, a perpetrator could use a substance that has no color, taste, or odor. Know your limits. Keep track of how many drinks you’ve had, and be aware of your friends’ behavior. If one of you feels extremely tired or more drunk than you should, you may have been drugged. Leave the Party or situation and find help immediately. Public Safety can be reached at its emergency line by calling (610) 683-4001. (Local authorities can be reached by calling 911 in most areas of the U.S.). Be explicit with doctors so they can give you the correct tests (you will need a urine test and possibly others). It’s okay to lie. If you want to exit a situation immediately and are concerned about frightening or upsetting someone, it’s okay to lie. You are never obligated to remain in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, pressured, or threatened. You can also lie to help a friend leave a situation that you think may be dangerous. Some excuses you could use are needing to take care of another friend or family member, an urgent phone call, not feeling well, and having to be somewhere else by a certain time. Be a good friend. Trust your instincts. If you notice something that doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Learn more about how to keep your friends safe in social settings.
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