Following these few urban safety tips for college students will help keep you safe. Parents need to educate their son or daughter about college crime. But college students must also make the effort to also learn about college crime and how to protect themselves from being victimized.
Unfortunately, though, campus living is not all fun and games. For the first time in your life, you’re going to be wholly responsible for your own personal safety – and you’re going to be surrounded by thousands of rowdy, inhibition-impaired, often-inebriated young people, not to mention any unsavory thugs who might hang around the edges of campus looking to prey on vulnerable young students, especially girls. Urban safety tips for college students is necessary during these dangerous times in America. Parents must be vigilant about reminding their daughter about college crime and urban safety tips for college students can be an excellent resource.
Although nearly 98% of the crimes committed on college campuses are related to theft, violent crimes are also a rising concern. a 2007 FBI report showed that although there has been a decline in overall campus crime rates in recent decades, there has been a slight up-tick in the number of violent crimes reported on college campuses during the last few years.
- Be aware of your surroundings. The single most important thing you can do to ensure your personal safety is to tune in to your environment. Young people often walk around in a bubble of obliviousness, and that kind of behavior sets you up as a walking target for predators who would do you harm. Make it a point to be mindful of where you are, what’s going on around you, and who is in your vicinity.
- Arm yourself with information. Colleges and universities are subject to a number of state and federal laws that force them to disclose information about violent crimes on campus; this information is usually available from the campus police department or safety office. Ask around to find out where the trouble spots are on campus. Many colleges offer basic training in safety techniques during new student orientation, so take advantage of that if it’s made available to you.
- Trust your gut. Many new college students lack the assertiveness to speak up if something seems a bit off. Personal safety experts insist that you’ve got to learn to trust your intuition. If a house party or a dorm room study session starts to make you feel uncomfortable, pack up your stuff and hightail it out of there. Your safety is more important than being polite.