Halloween is finally here! For most college kids, that means picking out a costume to wear to one of the many parties on campus. The best part about Halloween is that everyone is dressed in a completely different way, which can sometimes mean dressing provocatively or showing more skin than you normally would. If you’re dressing down to go out, then there’s one thing you should know: your costume does not equal consent.
Every year during Halloween, thousands of women across the country experience sexual assault. Despite the freedom to wear whatever you want, many women see Halloween as a dangerous holiday. In fact, 6 out of 10 women think that dressing provocatively means men will see you as “asking for it.” This is not the truth – no matter what you wear, you’re never “asking” for someone to touch you. Your costume does not equal consent. Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault, despite what you wear or how you act. Unless you say “yes,” any sexual advance is considered unwanted. You can dress however you want to, and nobody has the right to touch you.
If something does happen, you have many resources available to you. CofC students have the Victims Services Office to help assess and address the issue, and another resource is RAINN, which is a national orginzation against rape and assault.
Halloween shouldn’t be a dangerous holiday for women, but unfortunately, it is. Keep in mind this Halloween that costumes ≠ consent. Dress however you want- you are the only person in charge of your body.