Back-To-School Tips for College-Bound Women

The next few weeks are back-to-school time. School supplies will be bought by the boat-load, dorm rooms will be set up for the first time with a lot of women being away from home for the first time in their lives. The months of September through November on college campuses are what security experts have termed "The Red Zone." This period is when college women are more likely to be sexually assaulted than at any other time of the year. It's alarming and has many parents justifiably scared. Our founder, Steve Kardian, has worked with college-bound teens for decades and has crafted some actionable items to increase women's safety during this time:

1. Don't be too trusting.

A lot of the time when women go off to college for the first time, we feel a false sense of security on our campus. Don't be that woman. Exercise your intuition, and if your gut tells you something isn't right about a person, listen. When you go to sleep each night, make sure your room is secure. Lock your doors. A lot of campus dormitories, especially freshman dormitories are very active at all hours, and you might see some students keeping their doors open. Keeping your dorm room open is unsafe, and can contribute to forming bad habits. Keep your door closed.

2. Don't accept a drink unless you see it made.

Date rape drugs are still a thing, and men still like to use them. Do not accept a drink from anyone unless you see it made. 

3. Use the buddy system. Never leave a friend behind.

College parties are great. You make lifelong friends, and you learn to be an adult, but these parties are not free of danger. They can be hunting grounds for predators. If you go out, always take a friend, and never leave them behind when you leave the party, no matter how drunk they are, and no matter what they say. 

4. Get involved.

In New York City there is a phrase that plays on the speakers of all the public transit stations, on the subways and the buses: If you see something, say something. If you see a woman in danger, get involved. Predators use people's ignorance and silence to perpetrate their crimes. Stepping in between a man and a woman if you sense something is off and just saying "Is everything okay here?" could potentially save a life.

5. Fight back.

We never think we will have to do this. We want to be idealistic, but unfortunately, the world is full of dangerous people. When an attacker sees he will get resistance from his target, he is less likely to pursue his target. NEVER go along with what an attacker says, even if you consider them an acquaintance or even a friend. 

Sexual assault and violence against women is a difficult topic to discuss. It's even more difficult for a lot of women to defend themselves against. Our founder, Steve Kardian, just wrote a great book that has been recommended by a number of media personalities all about how to defend yourself if attacked. He also has been certifying instructors in his method for well over a decade, and these instructors are all over the world. If you would like to become one of our instructors, or if you are one of our instructors and need to be recertified, apply for one of our upcoming courses here: