Lawns of red flags are popping up all around campus, bringing an eye-catching red color and awareness about sexual and domestic violence to Kansas State. 

Each flag promotes The Red Flag Campaign, an initiative from the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, which was founded by college students, college personnel and community advocates.

According to The Red Flag Campaign, “The campaign encourages friends and other campus community members to say something when they see warning signs (‘red flags’) for sexual assault, dating violence or stalking in a friend’s relationship.”

This organization is designed to be a helpful tool to change an individual’s behavior, attitudes and actions in a college community. The campaign’s official website address is printed on each flag.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, “Domestic violence can affect anyone, but the ways in which it appears may manifest itself or be received differently depending on the setting in which it occurs. Cultural context can play a large role in a survivor’s decision to leave an abusive relationship. The specific cultural setting may be determined by your race, gender, sexuality, class, education or any number of factors.”

The Red Flag Campaign states that it alone will not solve the problem of sexual and intimate partner violence. However, it stands as a call for people to learn about healthier ways to relate to one another and shift societal norms of campuses and communities into ones that have a nontolerance policy for abuse.