You don't need to drink to have a great time at Schoolies. Alcohol may be considered to be the most socially acceptable drug, however, it is responsible for more drug-related deaths and trauma within youth than any other drug.
The safest way to stay safe around drugs at Schoolies is to say no and not use them. Drugs are not worth the risk!
TBD
If you choose to engage in sexual activity at Schoolies, it's important for you to decide if you want to have sex, that you both consent to the sexual activity and that you have safe sex every time.
If it didn't happen on social media, it didn't happen right? When you upload photos or video to social media, you run the risk of not knowing where it may end up.
You may think your accommodation may be one of the safest places to be at Schoolies, but it can often be the place where a lot of risk taking behaviour occurs.
Worried about staying safe at Schoolies? We've come up with a list of easy and practical tips to help you stay safe so you can have an enjoyable Schoolies for all the right reasons.
If you choose to engage in sexual activity during Schoolies, it’s important:
Sexual consent is pretty straightforward - it is when both people say YES, and willingly agree to engage in a specific sexual activity.
Sexual consent can be withdrawn at any time. If your partner says NO, that means STOP, immediately!
Sexual consent is also not transferable - to a different sexual activity, different day or different person.
It is important that you ask for consent before engaging in, and continuously during sex.
Consent:
Still struggling with the idea of consent? Check out Blue Seat Studio's 'Consent is like a cup of tea' video.
Did you know? You can always change your mind – at any time, even if you have already started getting intimate. All sexual activity must stop once consent is withdrawn.
It’s important to keep communicating and checking in on whether you are both feeling comfortable with what is happening.
Safe sex is having sexual contact while protecting yourself and your sexual partner against sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancy. When it comes to safe sex, when used correctly, condoms offer the best protection against STIs and pregnancy.
If you choose to have sex at Schoolies:
Safe sex is also about having sex when you and your partner are ready, consensual and having sex that’s enjoyable, respectful and protected.
Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual, physical, verbal or visual behaviour that makes a person feel uncomfortable, frightened or forces them to have sexual contact against their will.
There are different forms of sexual assault including:
Sexual assault is never your fault. Sexual assault is a crime.
If you have been sexually assaulted, know that you’re not alone and that you shouldn’t feel ashamed or to blame as what has happened to you isn’t your fault.
The first thing you should do is go somewhere you feel safe such as the home of a friend or family member or even to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department. Then if you feel that you can, you should consider telling someone you trust what has occurred.
At Schoolies, call Triple Zero (000) and ask for the Ambulance Service, or talk to one of our Safer Schoolies volunteers and they will help you speak to an Ambulance Officer.
Where to get support:
It is strongly recommended that you seek medical care if you have been sexually assaulted. A doctor can test and treat you for any sexually transmitted infections, carry out a forensic examination (if you were assaulted very recently and you wish to report the crime to the police) and importantly, provide information on sexual assault and follow-up support services.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence