A few days ago, a real horror story rocked Chicago. Police found 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins (Martin) dead in a freezer in a hotel close to O’Hare airport. Kenneka was partying and drinking with friends that night, but no one knows how she ended up dead in a freezer. Yesterday, video clips were released showing an intoxicated Kenneka wandering the hotel lower level unattended, sparking a debate suggesting the tape was altered.
This chilling story, in general, has triggered a lot of discussions among young people but one question has remained unanswered: what can we learn from this horrific tragedy? How can we educate teenage girls on party protocol? Of course, most people are familiar with the fact that over 290K people in the United States are victims of sexual assault and rape every year although evidence suggests this was not the case in this situation, it’s a very real reality of one of the things that could happen when we are not paying attention to our surroundings. Social media influencers are blaming her girlfriends for not looking out for each other. Some suggest that there should be some sort of a “girl code” that every woman must follow when hanging out with friends. This is a nice idea, but do we know what this code should include? Well, we have a few tips.
- Get your friends’ phone numbers
Obviously, you will always have to bring your cell phone with you. The next tip is to ask all your friends for their phone numbers and memorize them in your phone. In this way, you can get in touch with any of them in case something is not right or some of you need help.
- Know who will bring you back home
Never go out on a party or anywhere else without knowing how you will get back home. It is a bad idea to accept a lift home from a stranger. Go home with people you trust. You can also look for a cab, but make sure that your friends remember the number and license plates of the cab.
- Stay with your friends
This doesn’t mean that you should be with your friends all the time, but the periods that you are not with them should be short (like going to the bathroom etc.). You must watch each other and tell the rest of the group where you are going.
- Drink responsibly
Girls, just like guys, want to grab a drink or two when they are out and there is nothing wrong with that. However, you should definitely count your drinks. Being drunk means being vulnerable. Unfortunately, there are many guys that like to take advantage of drunk girls. While we are talking about drinking alcohol, it’s also a good idea to keep an eye on your friends. Warn them before they order another drink in case they look a little bit drunk. Finally, keep your glass of alcohol (or any other beverage) close to you because there are cases when people are slipping drugs. Don’t forget that about 50% of rape cases involve alcohol consumption.
- Don’t leave your friends
In fact, you should never leave your friends when something is not right or when they need some help. No matter how interesting some guy is, you should never leave your friend in need. The old skool saying is, “If you come together, you leave together.”
- Have a meeting point
There are situations when you can get separated from your friends. Going to places with large crowds can lead to situations like this. If you or some your friends get lost, you should have a meeting point. Make sure that this meeting point is easy to find. Now another key thing is as parent’s we have to worry less about being our daughter’s friend and educating them on learning the girl code. It can literally save their life.
By following this girl code tips, you should be able to stay safe. Remember that anyone is at risk when she or he is not acting responsibly.
