2.5.1.6 Risk Reduction Strategies

Bystander intervention can help to reduce the rates of drug-facilitated sexual assault. Risk happens on a spectrum, so while you can’t say, ‘If I do these things, I will always be safe’, you can say, ‘How can I keep myself safest?’

It can help to pay attention to:

1. How much you and your friends are drinking to make sure that you don’t become overly intoxicated.

2. How many drinks are being served to you by someone else.

3. People’s reactions to alcohol, especially if it looks like they are falling or passing out.

4. Where your friends are. Discourage them from wandering alone, especially in unfamiliar or isolated places.

In general, trust your instincts and intervene when something makes you feel uncomfortable or does not feel right.

Bystander intervention is not just about trying to prevent people from becoming targets of drug-facilitated sexual assault—it’s also about stopping people from being potential perpetrators.

It’s important to remember that when alcohol or drugs are added to a situation, it can be difficult to read verbal and nonverbal cues.

Unless we get consent from our partners, we put them and ourselves in a risky situation.

Not saying ‘no’ does not mean ‘yes’.

To create more safety for ourselves and others, we need to examine the risk factors and understand how to navigate them.