Campus safety is becoming a real issue at universities all across the country. What do you think is the best way to handle it?
When it comes to college, and life in general, everyone is entitled to the right of safety. Whether you are walking down the street or simply in your own household, protection is a necessity that no one should be denied. You might have heard recently about Hannah Graham, a University of Virginia student who went missing after a night out with friends. A little more south of there at the University of Georgia, we find social media threats that forced students to evacuate an on-campus building and the nearby area. And even further south at UF in Gainesville, Florida, women have been attacked recently.
When we hear about events like these, we understand that none of them are unprecedented. Threats and attacks such as these have become the norm on campuses and it is best to recognize what we as students can do to prevent these happenings.
For girls especially, it is important to take as many precautions as possible. If you plan on going out at night, it’s a very good idea to travel in a group. However, it is not just enough to leave with your group; you must also return with them. As in the case of the UVA student, she left without her friends. As a result, some individual was able to take advantage of her situation. This should never be the case. It’s important to have fun on your nights out, but just as important to be cognizant of the friends around you. Even if it is one person, someone should try to be aware of everyone’s status at all times.
In addition, everyone should start their night with fully charged phones. On many occasions, I have found myself roaming the streets and my phone suddenly dies. This cuts off multiple resources like the ability to call someone or even use maps to get to a location. Everyone should make it a point to leave home with a phone that won’t die on them.
In the case of guys, it is also very important to be aware of your surroundings. Once again, it is best to travel in groups. It is not unwarranted to come across an aggressive individual on weekend nights or even the latter hours weeknights, especially if someone is drinking. The encounters can lead to violent transgressions and this is something no one wants to be a part of. As past crime alerts have suggested, individuals are found alone roaming the streets and then taken advantage of.
Between these situations, and others such as theft and threats, what do you think schools should be doing? Certain schools have implemented free self-defense classes while others have increased campus police forces. However, in the grand scheme of things, is this really enough? Whether you agree or disagree, the first steps to safety start with you. If we make the conscious effort to help ourselves and our friends, we can make our campus experience that much better.
