Shattering the Red Zone

Shattering The Red Zone is an annual campaign by Survivors.org dedicated to raising awareness and shattering the silence around college sexual violence, specifically by raising awareness on the period during the fall semester where sexual assault is most prevalent.

The Red Zone is the time of year, taking place from the beginning of the fall semester to the beginning of Thanksgiving Break, when the majority of college campus sexual assaults happen.

  • Navigating parties and new social situations
  • Lack of social support
  • Added pressure to impress peers
  • Easier access to drugs/alcohol
    • Students may be using substances for the first time
  • During greek “Rush Week,” fraternities are often hosting large parties
  • Students in unfamiliar environment
  • A lack of effective prevention and education programs both before and after entering college
  • A culture that encourages drinking and hooking-up simultaneously, treating sex as a conquest

Many survivors choose to not report or disclose that they have been sexually assaulted. This is a completely valid and okay choice to make, however, this can make it hard to know the true scope of sexual violence, and the rates of sexual assault on-campus are likely higher than research tells us it is.

This is what we know:

  • 26% of undergraduate women have experienced sexual assault during college1
  • 7% of undergraduate men have experienced sexual assault during college1
  • 25% of transgender undergraduates have experienced sexual assault during college2

Students of all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and social groups are impacted by the red zone. Sexual violence is not a gendered issue and anyone can be a survivor or perpetrator.

  • 64% of multiracial trans/gnc students were sexually harassed1
  • 58% of gay male undergraduate students were sexually harassed1
  • 25% of current or former student athletes reported being sexually assaulted or harassed by someone in a position of power on campus3

Shatter The Red Zone Summit 2025

Survivors.org’s Shatter The Red Zone Summit is an online webinar consisting of four different 45 minute panels with the intent to educate college students on how to respond to and prevent sexual violence on their campus. This year, panels will also address how to navigate new challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC survivors on-campus amidst the current administration.

This year’s Summit is brought to you by our sponsors, the Tides Foundation and the Chegg.org Impact Fund.

Register For Free!

Check Out The Past Shatter The Red Zone Summits

  • Shatter The Red Zone Summit 2023
    Shattering The Red Zone is an annual campaign by Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) dedicated to raising…
    Learn more

  • Shatter The Red Zone Summit 2024
    Shattering The Red Zone is an annual campaign by Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) dedicated to raising…
    Learn more

Support Group For College-aged Survivors

Join The Survivors.org College Student Support Group! Our support group is free, virtual, and available to all college-aged survivors regardless of gender, identity, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and location. Held on the second Thursday of every month from September – December 2025 at 7 PM EST, our support group is a space to receive support and participate in a community of survivors.

This special Support Group series is brought to you by this year’s Shattering The Red Zone sponsors, the Tides Foundation and the Chegg.org Impact Fund.

Register Here

Be Part of The Movement

Are you a professional or expert interested in helping us Shatter The Red Zone? Fill out our application to be considered for one of our panels this year!

Apply Here

There Are Resources Available

KnowYourIX

Know Your IX is youth- and survivor-led project of Advocates for Youth empower students to end gender-based and sexual violence in schools.

Website

End Rape on Campus (EROC)

End Rape on Campus (EROC) works to end campus sexual violence through direct support for survivors and their communities; prevention through education; and policy reform at the campus, local, state, and federal levels.

Website

Take Back The Night

The TBTN National Sexual Assault Legal Hotline is available 24-7 and will listen without judgment and take down the details of your case to share with our legal team members to then provide you with free information about your legal options. 

Free Legal Assistance: 567-SHATTER (567-742-8837) or fill out the impact form

Website

Learn More About Sexual Violence on College Campuses

  • Sexual Violence Among Teens and Young Adults
    In the US, approximately 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18…
    Learn more

  • Shattering The Red Zone: College Campus Organizing Toolkit
    #ShatteringTheRedZone is an annual campaign by Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) dedicated to raising awareness and shattering…
    Learn more

  • Shattering The Red Zone: Understanding and Combating Rape Culture on College Campuses
    The Red Zone is the time of year, taking place from the beginning of the fall semester to…
    Learn more

  • Sexual Violence on College Campuses
    Students attending a college or university are at a vulnerable place in their lives. The majority of students…
    Learn more

  • What is The Red Zone?
    The first months of college before students return home for Thanksgiving break are meant to be an inspiring,…
    Learn more

  • The Bystander Effect and Why We Fail to Act
    What is the Bystander Effect? The concept of the bystander effect 1 was popularized by social psychologists in…
    Learn more

  • Can I Consent When I’m Not Sober?
    Consensual sex can happen after using substances. So, why do we state that consent is sober? When we…
    Learn more

  • 2024 Title IX Updates
    On August 1st 2024, the Biden Administration’s Title IX guidelines were set to go into effect. What are…
    Learn more