Crime on Campus

When visiting colleges, students and parents often have different questions. Students want to know what everyone does for fun on weekends, while parents want to be reassured that their child will be safe on weekends, and during the week as well.

In response to questions about campus security, student tour guides always point out the bluelight emergency phones, which connect to campus police. College administrators at most schools have taken steps to improve security over the years, adding extra lighting and restricting access to residence halls, but parents remain understandably concerned.

At a small college in a Midwestern city, I asked an admissions officer about campus security. He assured me that they had very little crime, other than bike thefts. Later, on the campus tour, I asked the student guide the same question, and learned that there had been a rape in one of the residence halls within the past couple of years. I can understand the admissions officer wanting to present the school in the most positive light, but I appreciated the tour guide's honesty.

Some parents worry about their children attending schools in urban locations that border neighborhoods with high crime rates, like USC or my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. When I ask students at these schools about security, they say they feel quite safe on campus. But 19-year-olds are more likely to underestimate risks. I remember as a student, walking alone in west Philadelphia at night, and now I have to wonder what I was thinking.

If a small college in a rural area sounds good right about now, keep in mind that crimes can happen anywhere. At a small, self-contained college, it may be easier to spot people who don't belong on campus, but that also makes it easy to become complacent.

So how do you help your child stay safe at college? First, pay close attention to security when you visit schools. Ask questions. How does the school address campus safety at orientation? Do all students have access to every building on campus or does a student's entry card only work for his residence hall but not others? In large residence halls, is there a reception desk with someone on duty around the clock? How many campus police officers patrol the campus at all times? Ask students if they are aware of any recent incidents on campus.

Parents and students have the right to know the crime rate at any college they are considering. Many schools make the information available on their websites, and the U.S. Department of Education has a website with statistics on thousands of colleges and universities. To see what crimes were committed on and off campus from 2002-04, go to: http://ope.ed.gov/security/ search.asp.

Most campuses are quite safe. Crime rates for college students are lower than for the general population. The vast majority of students graduate without encountering crime, and there are steps you can take to lower your chances of being victimized.

Avoiding situations where intense drinking is going on, locking doors and calling the escort service if you have to walk home from the library at midnight will go a long way toward making your college experience a safe one.

Audrey Kahane, MS, is a private college admissions counselor in West Hills.

She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or by e-mail at audreykahane@earthlink.net.