You spend around 18 years of your life looking after your child and helping them grow up into healthy adults. Just because your offspring is now legally an adult, that doesn’t mean that you can’t continue protecting them. It is always best to gather information and do your research early to prevent problems arising further down the line – for example, click the link to find out what you should do if you were a victim of sexual assault at UCLA. You want them to be prepared for every eventuality, even worst-case scenarios.

By preparing your child before they leave for college or university, you can help them to avoid any situations where this may be needed. One of the main situations where young men and women may find themselves the victim of assault would be during a night out. Some simple tips can help your child remain safe when living away from home.

Use the Buddy System

Regardless of whether your child is male or female, they could still wind up as a victim of an assault. To reduce the chance of this, encourage your child to stay with at least one friend at all times, including when visiting public restrooms. Generally, you are less likely to be the victim of an attempted, or actual, assault if in a group, due to sheer safety in numbers.

Keep an Eye on Your Drink

While we would like to imagine that all people are kind and honest, sadly that is not the case. Make sure your son or daughter understands the risks of drinking in public. Embarrassment from intoxication is the least of their concerns. Alcohol consumption can promote violence between people, lower an individual’s inhibitions, and also increase the chances of assault. 

There is a greater risk if a drink is left unattended, as this can give abusers an opportunity to lace victims drink with drugs that can cause hallucinations and unconsciousness. Educate your child on the dangers of drinking and that, if need be, it is far better to spend the money on a replacement drink than to consume one that was left for even a short period of time.

Plan Your Journey

Before commencing a night out, ensure that the journey to and from the destination is planned, whether it involves public transport, a parent giving a lift, a designated driver, or simply walking. By making sure all members of the party know the plan, your child will always know where they are going. Likewise, it is important to never get into an unlicensed car, or any vehicle where the driver has been drinking. Unlicensed vehicles can pose a danger where a person pretends to be a taxi or Uber driver, and may then assault their unsuspecting passenger. Teach your child, from a young age, how to recognize official forms of transport, so it will be second nature to them, even when in a potentially intoxicated state.

You do not need to instill fear in your child, but simply need to teach them ways to keep themselves safe. Sexual assault is never alright, and never the fault of the victim, but if you can minimize the chances then it is vital to do so.