A sexual assault was reported to the Cal State Long Beach University Police Department Saturday, Aug. 27.
CSULB’s Director of News and Digital Media Michael Uhlenkamp said in an email that the reported sexual assault took place last Thursday, Aug. 25.
According to Uhlenkamp both the alleged victim, a female, and the person of interest, a male, are CSULB students.
Although Uhlenkamp said he could not disclose the specific location where the reported assault took place, he confirmed that it did occur off-campus at a non Greek-affiliated house.
According to a crime bulletin posted by CSULB UPD, the reported victim “received services and was provided with resources.”
At this time, according to Uhlenkamp, the reported victim is “choosing not to move forward and press charges.”
The UPD has issued the following safety tips from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network:
- Trust your gut & be true to yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, trust your instincts and leave. If someone is pressuring you, it’s better to lie and make up an excuse to leave than to stay and be uncomfortable, scared, or worse. Your safety comes before someone else’s feelings or what they may think of you.
- Take control of your online life. Be mysterious online. Think twice before you share personal information. Constantly posting social media updates on your whereabouts, activities or even class schedules may allow someone to track your every move.
- Make others earn your trust. The college environment can foster a false sense of security. Remember that you just met these people, even if it feels like you have been best friends forever.
- If you see something, say something. If a situation seems questionable, speak up and alert others around you to it. By intervening you can prevent a crime from being committed. It can be difficult to know what to do, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
- Be aware & stay alert. Whether you are hanging out at a party or walking across campus, pay attention to what is going on around you. Try to take well-trafficked routes and avoid being isolated with someone that you don’t know or trust. Get to know your surroundings — take notice of the blue light locations and don’t be hesitant to use them if necessary
- Make plans & be prepared. When going out, know ahead of time who is going and plan to stay together as a group. Construct a backup plan for the day/night so that all of your friends know where to meet up if someone gets separated and/or their phone dies. Always have a designated sober friend in the group, even if they won’t be driving.
- Party smart. Guard your drink at parties. Don’t accept one from people you don’t trust or know well. Stick to drinks you got or prepared yourself. If you happen to walk away from it, get a new one. Keep track of what you’ve consumed so that you can stay in control. If you feel like you’re getting sick or are too intoxicated, ask for help to get you to a safe place or to a hospital.
- Be a good friend. Watch out for each other. Stick together in groups, especially when traveling from one place to the next. If a friend is acting in a way that seems out of character, take notice. If he or she is overly intoxicated or seems to need assistance, get them to a safe place and support them. If you suspect that a friend has been drugged or needs medical attention because of over-intoxication, or for any other reason, call 911.