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The risks of campus life probably aren’t at the forefront of the majority of students’ minds upon entering their freshman year. Most colleges and universities make it their mission to create a safe environment for students, after all.

 

But students still need to be vigilant and prepared in regard to their personal safety without being lulled into a false sense of security. Most of us want to be independent and responsible, and don’t envision ourselves becoming victims.

 

Here are some tips to reduce your risks and protect yourself from crimes and sketchy behaviors:

 

Property Crimes Are the Most Common

 

Stolen property is usually the result of things being left unlocked in cars and rooms or unattended in shared or public areas. Harvard University police say 95 percent of crimes on their campus are property related. On a broader scale, among public and private schools across the country, there were 12,300 burglaries reported on campuses, representing 45 percent of all criminal incidents, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That amounts to 8.3 burglaries for every 10,000 students. This makes this the most common type of crime committed on college campuses.

 

But how can you prevent yourself from becoming part of this statistic? It’s safe to say many thefts and burglaries are preventable by simply locking your car, securing your dorm room, and keeping valuables locked in a secure space. Don’t lock your wallet or laptop in the car. Someone could walk by and be tempted to break a window to steal an item of value. Basically, don’t leave anything you don’t want stolen in your car.

 

Monitor your phone, tablet, laptop and any other personal property in public. It’s easy to get distracted, especially when you are around other people or are multitasking. Perpetrators know when you have your guard down. Someone could easily walk by and grab your phone when you aren’t looking.

 

We don’t like to think it can happen to us, but sometimes it’s not a stranger stealing from us; it’s a roommate. Report any offenses to your dorm’s resident assistant and go from there. Campus security or campus police may need to be notified as well, even if it’s petty theft. Charges can still be brought against a stealing roommate.

 

Sexual Assault Reports Are on the Rise

 

More than 16 percent of college women are sexually assaulted while in school, according to the documentary The Hunting Ground, an expose of college rapes on campuses. Women ages 18-24 are especially vulnerable to sexual violence.

 

Over the past 15 years, the number of sexual assault reports on college campuses have increased 205 percent— from 2,200 to 6,700. It’s unclear, however, whether the surge is because of an increase in actual assaults or due to the fact that more victims are coming forward to report assaults.

 

In recent news, a proposal by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is scheduled to be released before Thanksgiving that will change the way colleges and universities handle sexual assault allegations. The new rules will give new rights to the accused, strengthen the definition of sexual harassment and reduce liability for universities.

 

National attention to sexual assaults on college campuses has been growing for the past 30 years, with efforts no longer just focusing on what women need to do to defend themselves but on rape culture, education on consent, and how we are all responsible for stepping in when predatory behavior is witnessed. This is called “bystander intervention,” which is a prevention tool designed to interrupt a potential assailant’s momentum.

 

While it’s good to have another’s back, each individual needs to be accountable for their own actions as well. Drugs and alcohol at co-ed parties can be a bad combination — often a catalyst for date rape. Awareness of rape and sexual assault leads to prevention, which is why students should be proactive in protecting themselves from potential harm, including using the buddy system, getting out of toxic situations, calling an Uber, and not leaving drinks unattended.

 

Protect Yourself Even When It’s Consensual

 

In 2017, there were record numbers of STDS in the U.S.with nearly 2.3 million cases reported. College campuses are breeding grounds for sexually transmitted diseases, according to the CDC.

 

Young women ages 15-24 accounted for nearly half of the 1.7 million cases of chlamydia in 2017. In fact, 50 percent of all new infections occur in young people ages 15-24, and one in two sexually active people will have contracted an STD by age 25,  according to Priority STD Testing. If left untreated, STDS like chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain from pelvic inflammatory disease, and ectopic pregnancies.

 

Some colleges are really into sexual health education and initiatives while others are not. A couple of years ago, the University of Oregon opened an STD screening clinic where students could pay $15 to talk to a nurse and get tested for an additional fee. It’s now a successful clinic that is booked two weeks out. Oregon also has locations throughout campus where students can get condoms. The university goes through 600 condoms a week, according to an article Inside Higher Ed.

 

So, while it seems unclear as to why STDs are on the rise among younger people as are sexual assault reports, it is clear that college age is a tough age. “It’s a tough population for drugs and alcohol, a tough population for sexual health, a tough population for consent,” the Inside Higher Ed article states. “In other words, it may be difficult for adolescents and young adults to approach decisions and conversations regarding these topics. Those concerns are bound up in other barriers, too, such as embarrassment in discussing risky behaviors or concerns about confidentiality.”

 

Colleges, universities, students, and parents all need to get on board with education and prevention of all the issues discussed above. Realize that help and support are available too. Empower yourselves today.