Bumble distributes campus safety kits
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Austin-based dating app Bumble is equipping college students with drink-spiking prevention kits and safety alarms, part of a partnership with NightCap and She's Birdie during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Why it matters: Incidents of drink spiking, violence and assault on college campuses peak as students head back to school.
- Experts estimate that more than 50% of all college sexual assaults occur during this period.
Driving the news: Bumble will distribute hundreds of NightCap's drink spiking prevention products and She's Birdie's safety alarms to undergraduate brand ambassadors and college students at the University of Texas and more than 160 campuses through the month of October.
- The safety alarms attach to keychains and light up and ring when detached.
- NightCap's most popular drink spiking prevention product looks like a hair scrunchie and can fit over the top of a glass to cover it.
What they're saying: NightCap previously distributed 1,000 drink spiking prevention scrunchies to UT's student government, a spokesperson for the company told Axios.
- "Since day one, NightCap has been hyper-focused on promoting safety and vigilance on campuses across the country," said Shirah Benarde, founder and CEO of NightCap. "Not only are we honored to partner with Bumble and She's Birdie on this initiative to help spread the word and empower students everywhere, but we're also inspired by the clear example of major brands taking action and speaking out on such an important cause."
Between the lines: Bumble, which has long garnered headlines for its advocacy work, maintains a partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline and recently expanded its partnership with Bloom to provide complimentary online trauma support to users who experience sexual assault or relationship abuse.
The big picture: Since 2019, private and public universities in Texas are required to publicly share reports of sexual assault, dating violence and other incidents.
Zoom in: UT received 1,193 reports in the 2021-2022 school year from employees that witnessed or received information regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking incidents.
- Of the 483 actionable reports submitted to UT's Title IX office, 14% were eligible to be investigated in accordance with its formal grievance process.
What's next: Bumble will distribute the Campus Safety Kits all month long, and anyone can receive 20% off of She's Birdie products with the code "BUMBLE."
- NightCap and Doordash will pass out the free scrunchies and keychains to students today and tomorrow at Dobie Twenty21 and Rio West.