This time of year, as students are heading off to college, their safety weighs heavily on the minds of many of their parents. September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month, and it’s a perfect opportunity for parents and students to educate themselves about some of the potential dangers that exist on campuses.
September is the most dangerous month for college students. With so many opportunities for meeting new people and new friends at parties and events, this time of year is also known as “The Red Zone,” named for the high incidence of sexual assault and violent crime that occurs during this period. According to Security on Campus, when students let their guard down or are drinking and among strangers, students are at their most vulnerable to a violent campus crime: 95% of these violent campus crimes are alcohol- or drug-related.
For new students, college may be their first experience away from home. They enjoy certain freedoms being on their own, but it’s easy for students to forget that safety is a major concern. One of the tools that has helped campus safety and raised awareness of crime threats on campus the Clery Act, signed into law in 1990. Named for Jeanne Clery, a student who was brutally raped and murdered in her dorm, the act requires schools publish and make available to students a report that contains three years worth of campus crime statistics. Additionally, schools are required to make available statements regarding their security, sexual assault policies, and information about where students should go to report crimes.
Awareness is a major defense against being a victim of violent crime. Here are a few tips from Security on Campus that all students should keep in mind.
- Always be aware of your surroundings and people around you. Visualize potential exit routes in case of an emergency.
- If you have to walk alone after dark, always use well-lit and populated routes on campus.
- Keep campus emergency numbers in your cellphone.
- Always trust your instincts when something doesn’t “feel right.”
- Be careful what information you post online on social networking sites. You never know who might be looking at your personal information or photos online.
- Know how alcohol and drug use will impact your behavior – and others.
- If a person is drunk, he or she cannot legally consent to sex. Period. Alcohol is the number one date rape drug, and it’s involved in over 90% of campus sexual assaults.
It’s easy to take your safety for granted on a college campus, but it’s crucial for you to educate yourself about the dangers that exist and what emergency services are available to you if you become a victim. Check out the Security on Campus site for more tips about how to help keep you safe on, and off, campus.
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