When Alcohol and Drugs Are Involved

Whether someone was sexually assaulted after voluntarily or unknowingly drinking or doing drugs, the responsibility still lies with the perpetrator and the assault is not the victim’s fault. North Carolina A&T and the police are more concerned about the assault than whether or not the victim was drinking.

N.C. A&T encourages reporting of incidents of sexual misconduct. Sometimes, complainants are hesitant to make reports because they fear that they may be charged with violations of the Student Code of Conduct, such as underage drinking at the time of the incident. To encourage reporting of sexual misconduct incidents, the university may exercise leniency towards a complainant with respect to taking action for other violations of the Student Code of Conduct.

If someone is mentally incapacitated or physically helpless due to alcohol or drugs, that person is unable to give consent to sexual activity. Perpetrators will often look for someone who is already drunk or high to the point of incapacitation. In other cases, perpetrators instead choose to push a potential victim to over-consume or to slip drugs into a potential victim’s drink without the victim’s knowledge. It is important to note that the most commonly used drug in sexual assaults on college campuses is alcohol. It is sometimes difficult to tell if you were drugged without specific medical testing.

Some common signs that you may have been drugged without your knowledge include:

  • Higher than normal level of intoxication for the amount of alcohol or drugs consumed.
  • Waking up with no memory of the night before, waking up in strange surroundings with no memory of getting there.
  • Noticing signs of sexual activity with no memory of engaging in sexual activity.
  • Remembering someone engaging in sexual activity with you, but feeling paralyzed and unable to react in the moment.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT

  • If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please know that assistance is available. N.C. A&T encourages all community members to seek help and report incidents of sexual assault.

GET HELP

  • Help is available from many resources on and off campus. To learn what resources are available and what they can offer, go to our resource page. Please also see this page if you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault in the past 72 hours.
  • Consider talking with a counselor who is trained to assist you with the emotional impact of sexual assault. You can contact the Counseling Center, 336-334-7727.