Health Promotion

• Learn about the resources available to you on campus.
• Learn about reporting options available to you.

Consider the following questions for you or a friend:

• Did both people have the capacity to give consent for sexual acts? In Arizona, the law states that someone is unable to give consent if they are mentally impaired including impairment caused by drugs and alcohol. The law also includes impairment caused by a “mental disorder”, “mental defect”, and “sleep”.
• Did both participants agree to take part in what happened? Arizona law states that consent is not obtained if someone is “coerced by the immediate use or threatened use of force” or “deceived as to the nature of the act”. This means that a threat of harm is enough, there does not necessarily need to be a weapon involved.

Many survivors of sexual assault may be confused about what happened to them because it does not match up to what they think rape is. Visit RAAIN’s website for answers to more common questions. If you are unsure about whether you have been raped or sexually assaulted, contact Victim Witness by calling (928) 856-7676 or the Flagstaff police department (928) 774-1414 and request that an advocate be paged. Victim Witness can also explain your legal rights and options in the case that you or someone you know was sexually assaulted.

Consent cannot be obtained in the state of Arizona if the person is:

• under the age of 18
• severely developmentally disabled or seriously mentally ill
• incapacitated or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• coerced or pressured
• unconscious

Clear, open communication with your partner about what you both are comfortable and uncomfortable with is an important component of any healthy relationship.

Always ask and always respect the answer.  Consent should be continuous, verbal and enthusiastic.  Respect your partner if they want to slow things down.

If you think you have experienced sexual assault, there are resources both on and off campus that can help you navigate the healing process.  You are not alone and it’s not your fault.

It is never okay for someone to pressure or force another person to have sex when they don’t want to.

Reaching out for information is a important first step. If you are trying to figure out if what happened to you was rape, consider the following questions:

• Are you old enough to give consent? In Arizona, the age of consent is 18.
• Did you have the capacity to give consent? If you were incapacitated by drugs or alcohol, you cannot give consent.
• Did you agree to take part? Sex without consent is rape.

Read more on the legal role of consent in different US states.

• College students are at high risk for sexual assault. College-age women are four times more likely to be assaulted than women of any other age group. Consent should never be coerced, implied or assumed, even if a relationship exists. Just because someone is in a relationship doesn’t mean that they always have consent to have sex with their partner.
• Consent cannot be legally given by someone who is intoxicated. Someone may choose to be drunk, or high, but they are never responsible for being sexually assaulted. Others who cannot give consent include minors, those with certain disabilities, someone who is unconscious, or those who are coerced or bullied into sexual acts.
• The way a person dresses is no excuse for rape. Women who dress sexy are not “asking for it.” Rape is rape; it is about power and control and putting one’s wishes above another person’s. It is not about attraction.
• Only 3% of reported rapes are considered to be false reports. Those who encourage the myth that people lie about being victims make it more difficult for victims to report the incident.
• Men can be victims too.
• 73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by someone the victim knows.
• Alcohol is the most commonly used date rape drug.
• Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual have an equal or higher rate of interpersonal violence, sexual violence, and stalking as compared to heterosexuals.

Visit our resource page for more information.