Staying Safe on Campus
Congratulations on your decision to study in the United States! As you begin your preparations for your journey into a new country and culture, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding your personal safety.
As you become familiar with American life and culture you will find yourself simultaneously adapting, discarding, and maintaining the attitudes and traditions of the country that has been your home. You will be continually making decisions about how former ways of life and values can be reconciled, if at all with American ideas and practices.
Introduction--School’s responsibility
Occasionally media impressions of the United States often portray America as unsafe. Generally speaking international students and scholars have few encounters with campus security or local police. Most universities and colleges in the U.S. strive to provide a safe and secure environment for students to pursue their academic and social goals on campus and the surrounding area.
American colleges and universities must report crime to the U.S. Department of Education yearly and disclose or accurately report information about crimes that occur on campus. The Crime Awareness Campus Security Act of 1990(Clery Act) is intended to expose a safe environment for students studying on American campuses. In addition the USDOE provides rapid customized reports for public inquiries relating to crime data.
Students new to American college life often feel a “facade of being safe” when they arrive on campus. This is often a false sense of security as your school may, or may not be located in a safe area. Many colleges and universities are in large cities, downtown areas, or rural areas and blend into the fabric of American cities. College campuses are not immune from crime. As universities are required to report crimes committed on campus and in the vicinity, students and parents can make their own judgments of how safe a university neighborhood is by looking at the crime statistics. Reporting crime statistics allows students to be aware of the real risks of living on a particular campus.
Awareness
One of the most practical tools in staying safe on campus is remaining aware: aware of your surroundings, aware of the people you interact with, and aware of how the situation feels. Law enforcement officers tell us that being aware is one of the most powerful tools against crime. Personal vigilance andpaying attention to your physical environment and to the behaviors or yourselfand others helps keep youalert and safe. Remembering to constantly access your environment and being hyper-aware of your surroundings allows you to determine your next reaction.
Response
You may be in a situation where you need to respond or take action if you notice a crime. This can mean notifying campus police, the local police, or a professor or administrator that you know. Cell phones give you instant access to safety by dialing 911 for emergency assistance. Generally speaking campus security and local police are there to protect and serve the public.
Ray S. Leki mentions in his recent book Travel Wise“…the greater the potential for cross-cultural awareness and interpersonal skills, the greater the potential for cross cultural awareness andeffectiveness which enables security competence.”
“It can’t happen to me,” is often an incorrect and naive response to campus crime. It does happen and it can happen to you. Crime happens all the time.
New Environments
Street smarts area finely honed skill of accessing a situation then creating an effective response that may differ by gender and life experiences. They allow us to quickly assess a potentially dangerous or harmful situation, decide how to respond, and guide you away from many dangerous encounters.
Get to know your neighbors. Should you have an emergency situation it is good to know your next-door neighbor or someone on your hall to call for help. Exchange cell phone numbers and help to build a safer community by getting to know the people around you.
Language mastery allows you to say what you mean and mean what you say. Crime statistics indicate that in an encounter often the person with the dominating verbal ability will succeed in their intent or pursuit. Screaming “No” or “Fire” if assaulted and being ready to flee or to do whatever it takes to get out of the assailants path is a survival skill. Language mastery facilitates confidence.
Taking Care of Yourself
Risk tolerance, an insurance industry term, is the measure of how far an individual will go to stay safe. Some students will walk alone at night from the library and think nothing of it, others will walk with a friend, and still others will call campus security to walk or drive them home. As you become accustomed to American life you will develop your own risk tolerance for various situations. The following tips may help:
- Avoid people displaying anti social behavior (behavior which causes fear is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more people)
- Tell friends /roommates what time you expect to be home
- Lock your doors and hide your valuables
- Be aware of your surroundings on public transportation. Change seats or get off if an individual is making you uncomfortable.
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