COLLEGE SAFETY

College safety tends to be forgotten with the excitement of going off to college because it is one of the most exciting times of a young person’s life. Unfortunately the statistics for campus crime can be a little scary.

Approximately 25% of women in college will be the victim of rape or an attempted rape. And according to a 2008 Readers Digest study, of the countries 6,000 colleges and universities there were 40,000 burglaries, 3,700 forcible sex offenses, 7,000 aggravated assaults and 48 murders reported in a year. That’s just ONE YEAR!!! And worse, those are just the crimes reported, which mean there are a whole lot more! Sorry, but the truth is, we have lot’s to worry about when we send our kids off to college. Here are some suggestions to help keep them safe so that they can focus on the more important issues, like getting an education and of course having some fun too! And you hopefully won’t get quite so many grey hairs.

Keep your dorm room locked at all times and make sure that your building is kept secure as well. Don’t let anyone in that you do not know. Remember, campus safety begins with you.

If you are taking classes at night make sure that you are walking in an area that is well light and try not to walk alone, safety in numbers. If your campus security has a free escort service, take advantage of it. Don’t be afraid of looking like a sissy! Hey, it’s a free ride! Avoid taking short cuts between buildings that are dark and secluded. The 5 minutes that you may save is just not worth the risk.

Keep your keys in a safe place. Don’t leave them lying around where someone could steal them. Having a pink pepper spray on your keychain makes it pretty hard to misplace.

If you are heading out to a club, or going on a date, always let someone know where you are going and when you should be back. You don’t have to give all the juicy details, just so someone will notice if you turn up missing.

Use your cell phone to store all of your emergency numbers, campus security or the local police as well as the fire department. And if your wallet turns up missing, you need to know what number to call to cancel your credit cards. The last thing you need is for someone to steal all of your hard earned money for college.

Alcohol, it can really hamper your judgment which puts you at risk. We all know that partying is part of the college life but try to do it responsibly. Try to stay with friends that you trust. Take turns being the designated driver as well as the one that will be thinking clearly when you think it’s a great idea to go off with a stranger or do something that once you’re sober, you realize is really stupid!

While in the library, keep an eye on your stuff. Campus crime goes on everywhere, even the library. It may seem okay to just run to the restroom quickly but it won’t take long for a thief to grab your purse, laptop and hey those books aren’t cheap either!

Locks! They are so inexpensive so get plenty and use them. Good locks can be your first line of defense against campus crime. Locks for your dorm room, locks for your windows too! Lock your car, lock your laptop, lock your cell phone. Lock that mini fridge too! our first paragraph ...