College Dating Safety Guide

College-Specific Risks

Campus dating safety considerations:

• •Proximity — matches may share your campus, dorm, or social circles, making avoidance after a bad experience difficult
• •Alcohol culture — impaired judgment at the time you most need it
• •Social pressure — going along with situations to fit in or avoid seeming uncool
• •Limited experience — first-time daters may not recognize red flags or know their boundaries
• •Shared social networks — reporting bad behavior risks social consequences

Building Safety Habits Now

The safety habits you build in college become automatic for life:

• •Always tell a friend where you are going and who you are meeting
• •Share your location — make it automatic, not situational
• •Set and communicate your boundaries before going out — drink limits, physical limits, time limits
• •Use the buddy system — go out with friends who will check on each other
• •Trust your gut — leaving a situation that feels wrong is never an overreaction

Campus Resources

Most colleges offer safety resources: campus security escorts, counseling services, Title IX offices for reporting harassment, and student health centers. Know these resources before you need them.