COLLEGE SECURITY:
Survival Strategies for Campus Safety
FAQ
If you're a woman heading to college - or a parent worried about a daughter - this page is for you. College life can be both thrilling and safe with the right awareness and habits.
Let’s make sure you have the tools to do exactly that. Here are lessons from experts to help you protect yourself confidently.
IT'S A NEW WORLD
Just freed from their parent’s cocoon and dazzled by new liberties, many young students are overwhelmed with all the adjustments to college life.
On top of that, the benign ambiance of a campus can distract you from the need to prepare for carefully and wisely setting up your new home for peaceful, practical and safe living. Let's start with College Home Security: Careless Roommates vs Home Defense. Then come back here.
FULL DISCLOSURE OF COLLEGE SECURITY
See Campus Safety Rankings as well as Campus Safety and Security to help you choose a safer school or be more aware of the risks at the school you're attending.
CRIMINAL CLASSMATES
There is no legal requirement for colleges to disclose the number of their students who are criminal felons (even violent felons). College policies vary widely, and any data on student criminal records is typically handled confidentially and not made public.
However (due to quirky laws), only “Registered Sex Offenders” are required to register at the local police or sheriff's office about their enrollment in colleges. The police then notify college police who then notify faculty and staff. But students are not told until after new “incidents” occur. Legally, a Registered Sex Offender's right to privacy outweighs your right to know of your risk.
At least, you can see FamilyWatchdog.us for the names, map/locations, and addresses of Registered Sex Offenders living in the off-campus areas (and, depending on each state's law) maybe on-campus, too).
Still, you can remain more secure by following the guidance on this page.
LESSONS IN CAMPUS SAFETY
Some security officers pound on dorm room doors at dawn to remind students of their vulnerability. They find many doors unlocked despite hallway signs reminding students to lock their doors. Again, make sure you read College Home Security: Careless Roommates vs Home Defense.
Females commit ~20% of violent crimes (per the FBI). Some may seem friendly (at first), commit crimes alone, or in groups, or help male partners. So evaluate ALL strangers by their behavior and red flags.
When you're outside and among other people, it's okay to talk on your phone or listen to music through ear buds. But police say many students use phones and earbuds while walking alone in more remote areas – distracted and
oblivious to their surroundings. But you can make it a habit to always be aware or your surroundings and to always carry the following:
PERSONAL SECURITY DEVICES
Carry Pepper Spray & a Personal Security Alarm (noisemaker or screamer) within easy reach. Those pages tell you how to use them most effectively.
RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE SECURITY
Explore the resources below to further arm yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to maintain your security:
► School Violence prevention FAQ.
► Stalker Warning Signs
► Date Rape
► Apartment Security FAQ
NOTICE: This non-profit website is for informational purposes only and is drawn from the bibliography and USDOJ. Use the information at your own risk. See disclaimers.
Crime-Safety-Security > Women's Safety Overview > College Security
