Duquesne University students were alerted of an alarming incident on Wednesday, October 29, in the afternoon. The safety alert stated, “A student at Duquesne University reported that she was approached by three men this morning who forced her into an apartment, sexually assaulted her, and stole money and a credit card from her a very short distance from campus.” The investigation on this case continues.
Are you feeling anxious and nervous around your own living and learning centers on campus? This is not the way a student wants to feel at their “home away from home.” Colleges strive to create a comfortable environment for their students on campus, but schools can only go so far until it is time for the student to take their safety into their own hands. People tend to forget that you are responsible for yourself and there will not always be someone looking out for you. Although Duquesne, as well as other campuses, do an outstanding job of protecting their students, you can never be too safe. Here are three easy steps on how to keep safe around your own campus:
1. Are you a wanderer on the weekends? Are you the one who somehow always finds yourself astray from the rest of your friends at the end of the night? This is not a rare occurrence for college students, and the companion app is making a change. Thousands of people globally are now taking a stand for their safety by using a new personal-safety mobile app. The Companion app allows friends to virtually look out for you and walk you home at night. How is this any different from calling or texting? The app allows your friends and family to track your location via GPS. If the user shows suspicious activity such as falling, being pushed, having their phone thrown, etc. the app detects these unusual movements and sends a notification to the user asking if they are OK. If the user is still making their way just fine, they can confirm this. If the user does not confirm that they are OK within 15 seconds due to a serious emergency, the app will transform into a personal alarm system that projects loud noises to scare off criminals from the scene. If you agree in your settings, it will automatically call the police. With all of the mischief going on these days, you can never be too safe. Put your safety first and download the Companion app now!
2. The buddy system. It is the oldest trick in the book, but it rarely fails to get students home safe and sound. Every year the public is alerted with numerous crimes committed on or around a college campus. Student safety alerts have been taken more seriously ever since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, when the school was unable to send out an alert in a timely manor. Students never think it’s going to be them until it actually happens. This horror can be prevented often by simply just asking a friend to walk home with you, or by waiting the extra few minutes for your friends to finish up at the party so that you can all walk home together. Regardless of whether you are ready to go home or not, are the possible consequences of walking alone really worth it? Think about it seriously before you make this decision that seems so simple in your head. Use this simple tool that is available to students at almost any time of the day. If nobody is with you, there are always other alternatives.
3. With these gruesome attacks on the rise, especially for college students, let’s not forget about this simple solution. Pepper spray has been known to be the key to safety in many people’s rule book since 1965. According to the Pepper Spray Center, each year there are 293,000 victims of sexual assault. Approximately four of five assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, and 47 percent of rapists are known as “friends” to the victim. Even if you are feeling safe with someone, take the extra precaution. Why even consider putting yourself at risk? Due to these devastating statistics, the sale of pepper spray sky rocketed, as it should. Pepper spray comes in various forms, containers and sizes, and will disorient your attacker when used properly, giving you enough time to get away to safety and get help. Many students may not want the burden of having to carry this with them everywhere they go, but what they don’t realize is that it is small enough to carry in your pocket, purse, and definitely a book bag! It is essential for people, especially students, to find a way to protect themselves.
Although some of these steps may seem simple, they are necessary. Everybody’s mother has told them to "carry pepper spray" or to “never walk anywhere alone.” These phrases become so repetitive that people forget that they are real. These steps are forced into your head for a reason, and when you go off to college and your mother isn’t there to tell you anymore, you must remember them yourself. Put yourself first. Put your safety first.
