Ahead of Savannah’s Halloween festivities, Armstrong’s Student Health and Wellness Promotion hosted the “Commit to Consent Rally” on Monday, Oct. 20. Local advocates and campus departments taught students about the alarming prevalence of sexual assault across college campuses, and educated them about the key components of consent.

More than 50% of sexual assaults on college campuses happen between August and November. This is called The Red Zone. New college students, particularly women, are more vulnerable during this time, because they are experiencing a new place, a new social scene, and sometimes new substances like alcohol.

High schools in Georgia are mandated only to teach abstinence-based sex education and limited substance safety education. This leaves some incoming college students at risk, if they don’t understand alcohol tolerance or recognize the rules of consent.

“The point of the Commit to Consent rally is to really educate students on what consent is and what consent is not,” said Ariah Lewis, coordinator of Student Wellness and Health Promotion. 

Consent is a part of our everyday interactions with friends and strangers – whether it’s touching someone’s hair, giving a handshake or receiving a hug. Consent is also the agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity. By learning some key components to giving and receiving permission, we can set clear boundaries with partners, and protect ourselves from unwanted sexual activities.

Key Components to Consent 

A simple acronym can be used to learn and remember what consent is: FRIES.

Consent is Freely Given – A choice that you make without pressure, manipulation, or coercion. 

Consent is Reversible – Can be revoked. Whether you’ve done it before, or are in the act. 

Consent is Informed – Everyone has all the information and knows what they’re consenting to. 

Consent is Enthusiastic – Hesitation? Stop. Consent is based on mutual desire.

Consent is Specific – Consenting to one thing is not agreeing to others. It’s an on-going process.

Recognizing and Preventing Assault

“Halloween is coming up and people are wearing costumes, people are trying to scare people. Sometimes that leads to touching that people don’t want,” said Brandi Mallard, associate director of the Armstrong Counseling Center.

Mallard read scenarios to students during the Commit to Consent Rally, helping them gauge their understanding of consent not just for sexual encounters, but for any kind of physical touch or engagement with other people. She emphasized that even when people are dressed in costumes, physical encounters should be consensual. Before you reach to touch someone’s costume, remember FRIES!

On Halloween day, both campuses will host “My Costume is Not Consent” events to educate students and combat victim blaming. These events aim to dispell myths surrounding sexual assault that blame the victim’s circumstances or point to stereotypes, rather than the perpetrator’s actions. Often, the credibility of victims is questioned when they are asked what they were wearing or if they were drinking during an assault, in an attempt to shift the blame to them.

 “The only thing that can stop the perpetration of a sexual assault, is the perpetrator not sexually assaulting,” said Lewis.

Resources and Advocacy for Assault Victims

Local advocates and sexual assault survivor supporters from Mary’s Place took part in the consent rally as well, teaching students about some of their local resources and offering their support to those combatting the stigma or legal issues surrounding sexual assault.

Mary’s Place of the Coastal Empire serves Savannah and surrounding areas as an advocacy, prevention and educational organization for victims of sexual assault.

“Speak up. Do not be quiet,” said advocate Stephanie Gonzales. She encourages students to reach out to trusted people, campus resources, or organizations like Mary’s Place, to find help if they have experienced an assault.

Through the C.A.R.E.’s bystander intervention curriculum, Georgia Southern University and the Student Wellness and Health Promotion outlines the steps someone can take to protect targets of abuse. 

How can I care for my fellow eagle? Bystander Intervention: Create a Distraction – Ask Directly – Rally Others – Extended Support.

Upcoming Events for Safe Alcohol-Use and Consent Education:

The “Mocktail Health Hut” will be hosted in the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 27. Students will learn how to create a safety plan and minimize risk if they choose to consume alcohol. At the event, they can also indulge in sweet, non-alcoholic beverages to understand that they can abstain from alcohol and still have fun.

Next semester, the university will host many programs including the Clothes Line project, “What Were You Wearing?”, “Denim Day,” and the “Red Flag Campaign”, to bring awareness to the stigma, myths and dangers surrounding sexual assault.