MAKING COLLEGE A SAFE EXPERIENCE

MAKING COLLEGE A SAFE EXPERIENCE:
-Birdy

Tips To Avoid Crime:
The years you spend at a higher education facility are designed to help you learn and grow as a person. It will be an extremely busy time with classes, homework and social functions. Your college schedule will most likely be so hectic that it be difficult to focus on anything else. However, in the modern society we live in, everyone must understand and learn about the possibility of becoming a victim of crime. Wherever you go, you should always be very aware of your surroundings. Are you passing by dark alleys or large bushes - anywhere that a predator may hide from your view until it is too late? Are you walking boldly and with confidence, or do you give the appearance of being meek, lost or afraid? Make sure you don't look like an easy target. Avoid areas where criminals can remain hidden, and walk quickly and confidently. Make brief eye contact with people you pass and keep your shoulders and head held up high. Never look like an easy target.

You should always know where security is located on campus. Find out the phone number for main security office, and put it in your cell phone. If you ever need help at school, the security crew will be the first source of assistance.  When you drive anywhere on or off campus, be sure to park in well lit areas, preferably near other cars. Avoid dark and isolated streets and garages. If possible, choose a parking lot that is monitored by a security guard. Whenever you leave your car, always lock it. You may plan to be right back, but it only takes a minute for someone to open your door and get in. Never leave personal items in plain view in your car. Valuables and other goods that are displayed on the seats of your automobile will tempt criminals to break in and steal them. When you return to your vehicle, have your keys in your hand and be ready to get into the car right away. Once in, make sure the doors are locked and prepare to drive off as soon as possible. If a stranger approaches your car, do not get out for them, and never let them inside your vehicle. Offer to call the police if the person claims to be in need of help, and drive away if they will not leave you alone.

Work With Your Fellow Students:
Your friends and other college students can help each other by working together to avoid crime. Walk in groups instead of alone, especially at night. Arrange for others to walk to classes with you. A predator is not very likely to attack a group of people. They usually look for someone who is alone, and therefore more vulnerable.

Get to know the people in your dormitory. Start your own Crime Watch Group to help within the dorm. Work together to watch for people who should not be in your building, people who are loitering and anyone who is acting suspiciously. When people are watching out for each other, it helps to keep everyone safe. Have everyone write down a list of emergency contact numbers, such as the home or cell phone number of a parent or trusted relative. Keep the list of numbers in a safe place where it can be easily found if needed. Keep the doors leading into your dormitory locked at all times. Ask campus security to check the doors and survey your building every night.

Become Students Of Crime Prevention:
You will be taught many things at college; among them should be how not to become a victim. Criminals are always on the lookout for easy targets - people who seem to be timid, uncertain and unable to fight back. When you are aware of what criminals are looking for, and where they may be hiding, it is easier to avoid them.


Don't Be A Victim:
Once you have learned how to watch for dangerous situations, and work together with others to help avoid crime, the next step is to be ready- just in case you are subjected to a crime. You may find yourself in a situation in which someone is trying to steal from you, take advantage of you, or even commit a sexual assault against you. In these instances you knowing how you can protect yourself can make a big difference.

Self Defense Techniques:
Learn how to provide your own defense by taking a Martial Arts Class. Even a very basic self-defense course will teach you some vital information that can be useful if you are attacked. Techniques such as the palm strike or groin kick allow you to hurt your assailant and get away. Investigate several classes or courses to find out which one is right for you. There are several courses available that can teach you even basic moves in a single session. Many colleges offer courses like these. One big reason you may find it worth your while to take a class that will help you learn how to fight back as the benefit of these sorts of classes is they will give you more confidence and self-assurance. When you feel confident in yourself, it shows. This alone may help to deter a predator from choosing you. There are things to do even if you haven’t had any sort of “formal” training as well. If you are attacked, use anything you can as a weapon. If you do not have something like pepper spray or a stun device you can get to, pick up a large rock, a glass bottle or whatever is accessible that you can use against your assailant. Using an item as a weapon can temporarily halt the attacker, and give you time to get away. Try as best you can to keep as clear a head as possible during an assault, and always look for an escape route.

Know When To Back Down :
That said, and while it can be helpful to learn martial arts and be ready to fight back, sometimes it is necessary to stand down and do what the criminal is telling you. They may have a gun, knife or other dangerous weapon. If so, the best thing you can do is cooperate. Give a mugger your wallet or other valuables, or let a thief take your purse if they are armed. It is better to lose your possessions than to risk great harm or even death. Even if you are uncertain if an assailant has a weapon, if there is a possibility, then your best bet may very well be to play it safe. If you have been robbed or assaulted, seek help immediately. Contact security and the police, and get medical attention if you have been hurt. Cooperate with the police. Do your best to give a description. Remember- someone has done this to you, they very well might do it to someone else.


Protect Your Possessions:
These days unfortunately, crime is on the rise on college campuses. In the dangerous times we live in, everyone must do whatever they have to tin order to protect themselves, their loved ones and their belongings. When you live in a dorm you usually do not have a lot of expensive personal items in the room. However you may have cash, jewelry, iPods, or other valuables. It is a great idea to keep these smaller items hidden and secure at all times to avoid theft. A diversion safe is a good and inexpensive solution. The safes are created to look like other household items such as a soda can or shaving cream canister. A thief will usually only remain inside a dorm room for a few minutes, so the better you have your valuables hidden, the more likely it is they will not be stolen.

Carry A Personal Alarm:
It is even more important to protect yourself and assure your own safety. There are many items you can invest in to help with this:

When you go out, it is a good idea to make sure you have a couple of personal safety products with you. You can find safety lights, which will flash brightly or audible alarms, which will make a lot of noise when turned on. You can carry one in your car, and/or take one with you whenever you ride a bicycle. It is a good idea to bring a personal alarm with you whenever you are in public. When you set off an audio style alarm, it will emit a high-pitched noise that will be heard by anyone nearby. This sound will let people know there is trouble in their vicinity, and someone is in danger. The sound of the alarm itself is generally enough to scare off an attacker. Criminals do not want to have attention drawn to them, and a personal alarm will do just that.

Non-Lethal Weapons For Students:
You may want to purchase a weapon that you can carry with you. There are many types of legal weapons you can invest in:

Tasers- These will shoot two pronged electrically charged probes at your assailant. The probes can reach their target from up to fifteen feet away. Once they have hit, the probes will shock the attacker and cause them to collapse.
Defense Sprays - A defense spray, such as mace or pepper spray, can be used to stop a predator in their tracks. The powerful spray will disable an attacker from up to eight feet away.

Stun Guns - Stun devices distribute a strong electric charge to a criminal. The shock will temporarily paralyze the recipient, thereby giving you the time you need to get away.

These weapons are not lethal, and will temporarily halt an attacker. They do not cause any long term damage or effects. Most can fit into a girl’s purse, or in the pocket of a pair of pants or a jacket.

There are many areas of life in which you can be vulnerable. Up until now we have been discussing threats to your physical person. Now we would like to talk a little bit about protecting your personal identity.

Protect Your Identity:
Identity theft is on the rise. Crooks can take your private information, pretend to be you and make expensive purchases on your credit cards. After a criminal has your information, they can do a tremendous amount of damage to you financially. It is difficult to get the mess they make straightened out, so it is always better to be proactive and protect yourself against identity theft.

Personal Information:
Never give out your social security number to other students, or to anyone on campus who claims to need it. Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. If you lose the wallet or it is stolen, whoever has it will then have it. Avoid giving out personal information over the phone or in person. Someone may be scamming you, or listening in to your conversation. Only give out your information in a private school office, where you are certain that it is safe to do so. Shred all of your personal mail and other documents that have private information on them. Tearing a document in half is not enough. Anyone could tape it back together and have access to your data.
If you do not receive a regular credit card bill or bank statement, check into it. Make sure the mail is just late, and that nobody has stolen it. These items can offer a criminal a lot of personal information about you. Always review your statements, and if anything seems wrong, contact the bank or card company immediately to discuss it. Go to your bank to pick up checks instead of having them sent in the mail. Don't give a thief the opportunity to end up with your checkbook. Do not have your social security number or driver's license number printed on your checks. If necessary, you can include those numbers on a check you are writing, but they should not be listed on blank checks.

Computer Security On Campus:
There are some simple steps that everyone should take to help ensure their identity remains safe. Memorize all of your passwords. Unless you completely know it to be trustworthy, it is better to not allow a website to 'remember' and save your log in information. It is always safer to be sure the settings force you to log in every time you visit. Watch for fake emails that may try to "phish" you for information. You may receive an email that appears to be from a website that you use, such as EBay, Amazon or a credit card company. But be aware, these may be phony emails that will take you to a duplicate site. Once you've input your personal information, the criminal who created the mirror site will have it and be able to use it. This is why you should always log in directly at the home page of any website you visit. Never input your log on information after clicking on a link to any website. When you receive an email that asks you to click on a link and then log on, alert the company that supposedly sent it. They may be able to help put a stop to the problem.
Unless you know for sure it is legitimate reason from a legitimate site, do not fill out forms or surveys that request personal information. Many of these sites are designed to collect your private data. At best it might be used to spam your mailbox, at worst it could be used to steal your identity. Only make online purchases with websites that you know offer secure checkout procedures. If you are not certain, do not give out your credit card details. It is better to be safe and buy from a reputable site where your information will remain secure and private.

For more information about college campus safety, please visit the national crime prevention council web site at: http://www.ncpc.org/training/campus-crime-prevention.