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Home » Education Articles » Security On Campus

Security on Campus

It may surprise you to know that college and university campuses are scenes to more than just socializing and learning. All too often, they can also be the scenes of a crime. Awareness of this problem has grown dramatically over the last twenty years, and many institutions are taking appropriate measures to protect their students from malice. Wise parents do not close their eyes to these issues, but discuss them openly with their students. When choosing schools for their sons or daughters, they consider the security programs and features utilized by the schools. You must do all you can to ensure that your student doesn't get an education they didn't plan for.

Drugs and Alcohol

Nine out of ten student felonies involve alcohol or drugs. Annually, 1,700 college students die from alcohol-related causes. On their own for the first time, students often feel a surge of independence that can lead to poor decision-making, such as binge drinking. There are many resources available to help parents discuss substance use with their young adult children. Meanwhile, when choosing a school favor institutions with strict policies regarding alcohol and drug abuse, and effective parent-notification. In this way, colleges and universities keep better control of this problem.

Sexual Offenses

Unfortunately, 25% of undergraduate women nationally will be victims of an attempted or completed sexual assault. Many schools have embraced innovative technological solutions in an effort to protect their students. Residence halls that use electronic key-card systems are superior to the ones still using old-fashioned metal locks, and most commons areas of dormitories are now outfitted with video surveillance. At the very least, residence halls should be monitored, and nighttime access should be limited to residents only. Room doors should be equipped with peep holes and dead bolts. Bathrooms are safer when restricted to floor residents. For peace of mind, you may see if single-sex and "substance-free" dormitories are available. Crime is lower in these halls.

Another important deterrent against sexual predators is awareness. Your student should study the campus and neighborhood with respect to routes between his or her residence and classes/activities schedule. Parking lots should be adequately secured, lit and patrolled. Many campuses offer emergency phones, escort services, and shuttle systems so that students should never have to compromise their safety by walking across campus alone after dark. These are free services that have dramatically decreased crime.

Theft

College students are often the target of fraudulent identity-theft and credit card schemes. Make sure your student is savvy about personal information. They should never leave bill payments, credit card offers, health insurance statements, or any personal mail lying around. Instruct them never to give personal information over the phone to any company unless they initiated the call, and they know the company is reputable. Caution students not to give out their social security numbers to obtain credit cards or memberships, and to keep a personal record of all such cards, with expiration dates and company phone numbers in a locked drawer or cabinet. PIN numbers should not be kept in wallets, and should never incorporate birthdates, social security numbers, telephone numbers or addresses.

The Jeanne Clery Act is a federal law that was signed into effect in 1990, requiring colleges and universities to disclose annual information about campus crime and security policies. It is your privilege and right to know these statistics. This law was passed at a great cost. In 1987 Jeanne Clery was raped and murdered in her dorm room by a student with whom she was unacquainted, who had passed through three propped open doors in order to rob dormitory rooms. Knowing they could never bring their daughter back, Mr. and Mrs. Clery demanded safer campuses for future students. More advice regarding security on campus can be found on their outreach site at www.campussafety.org.

Copyright 2006 Rob Daniels

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Hassle-Free Homebuying

Perhaps you'd like to take advantage of today's great real estate market in housing but feel a little intimidated by everything that's involved.

You know the routine: finding the right locale and the right house; negotiating an agreement; putting together a down payment; and selecting the best mortgage available.

There are two things you can do to make every step run smoothly. The first is to select a really professional agent who knows the real estate business, knows your local market, has both a solid reputation for integrity and a solid record of success, and clearly is eager to respond to your needs.

The second is to make your agent your teammate in the literal sense of the word, using teamwork to be sure that the house you ultimately buy is the house you've always wanted.

Making your agent your teammate requires choosing an agent you feel able to trust both as a person and as a professional. And that's no small matter. In real estate as in all areas of business – as in all aspects of life, actually – trust can make all the difference in the world.

True teamwork is nearly impossible to achieve unless you stick with one agent throughout the buying process. By all means you should shop around – and shop around carefully – when you're still deciding which agent to work with. Once you've made that decision, however, don't reverse it unless (and this rarely happens to people who are careful in the first place) something specific happens to make it clear that your choice was unwise.

Teammate status is all the motivation a first-rate agent needs to go all-out in finding houses that suit your needs. And if you're concerned about what it is you're looking for and how much house you think you can afford, your agent can save you huge amounts to time and effort.

If you're not sure how much you can afford, be candid with your agent about that, too. He or she can provide you with some helpful preliminary guidelines and can put you in touch with mortgage lenders who know how to get you focused on an appropriate price range.

It's always a good idea, as you look at listed homes, to give your agent a lot of feedback on what you've seen. Good feedback will refine and sharpen the agent's understanding of your likes and dislikes, which in turn will make it easier to find the house of your dreams.

The ultimate payoff, once again, is that you get to your goal more quickly, expending less time and less effort along the way.

Anyone who have ever done it this way will assure you of one thing: it pays off.