As the end of October comes to Storrs, there are few things as heavily present in the minds of University of Connecticut students as Halloween, and more specifically Halloweekend. The anticipation, the brainstorming of costume ideas, the planning of what parties to go to and the rush of trying to get work done beforehand for a stress-free time all combine to make a weekend that is unrivaled on the UConn social scene (aside from natty week). As this article will have first found its way into the paper on Friday morning, many students will have already started festivities on Wednesday and Thursday nights and many more will be itching to get out class and start preparing for the next few days off. Aside from all the good and fun people will have, it’s worth taking some time to truly consider some of the parts of this holiday that people don’t usually talk about.
Halloween falls right in the middle of what’s known as “The Red Zone”, a period of time from August to November wherein about 50% of sexual violence occurs on college campuses. It specifically presents as an especially dangerous time within this already heightened period because of the extreme nature of the weekend. Anyone can tell you that there’s going to (and already has been at the time of this article’s publication) a lot of alcohol being consumed, and in fact, research shows that this is one of the heaviest weekends in the entire year for alcohol consumption at colleges. When this is taken into account with the increased amount of social events during this weekend and the fact that at least 50% of campus sexual assaults involve alcohol, it presents an increased risk to the weekend that people should be aware. For younger students, this is incredibly relevant because part of the reason this time period is so dangerous is because they don’t know how to gauge their limits. This weekend will be for many their first time ever experiencing something like this, and a lot are going to end up going too far.
Now, this is not to say that it is anybody’s fault for getting too drunk; ultimately, it is the perpetrator’s fault no matter the circumstances. It is wrong to say that a victim becoming too intoxicated or wearing a revealing costume is the reason they were violated. These myths, although widely believed by men, approximately 55% according to a study from The Independent, are just poor excuses to justify violating someone else’s personhood. Instead, the reason it’s worth acknowledging that Halloween is an especially dangerous time for members of vulnerable populations is for its own sake. There should be awareness of this topic, while at the same time people should be allowed to go out and have fun with their friends safely. Plus, part of developing a healthy and informed relationship with anything is being critical of its parts.
At UConn specifically, it can be easy for many people (read: men) to be relatively unaware of the culture of sexual violence that exists here. This university has had to reckon with the existence of and lack of support for victims in the past, such as with the major protests in 2022 following the public story of one student’s experience, yet the problems still exist now. According to the 2024 Student Experience Survey, 29% of students experienced some form of sexual harassment and 8% of students experienced a form of sexual violence within the last 12 months. Especially when considering the fact that approximately 90% of campus sexual assaults go unreported, it is clear that this behavior is ever present on campus.
So, as Huskies across campus prepare this weekend to go out, I hope that in the back of everyone’s mind there exists a watchful eye for fellow students. We decide the culture of this university and especially its social scene. The effort to reclaim the holiday from perpetrators comes from everyone in the little things we do to protect each other, and taking this time to help those around you is what changes a culture to one where people can always feel safe on one of the most fun days of the year.