Three C's on the College Campus: Crime, Co-ed's, and Catastrophe

Recent crimes against college coed's seem to flood the news programs. In one week alone, media coverage has reported about a college coed murdered in a college lab, another woman raped in a bathroom of her college dorm. The only thing that is a piece of news is the fact that these crimes have seen the light of the media.
According to College Crime Statistics as reported on a website promoting self-defense, 42% of college women on campus are raped annually yet tell no one about this crime. Add to this the fact that, as reported on the same site, 85% of rapes reported are acquaintance rapes. Just how safe is the college campus your daughter is attending? What can a young woman do to prevent becoming a victim?

College promoters will tell incoming parents and their daughters that campus security is there for them. This is, in fact, true. The question is whether or not these campus police are enough to forestall crime. Therefore, it is best for any young woman to be proactive in her own defense.

First of all, explain to your daughter that no material item is worth the risk getting raped or of losing her life. Cell phones are replaceable. Any item can be attained again and no woman should have to "fight" for her possessions. This leads to the question of impaired judgment.

College is synonymous with college parties and drinking. If you are under the impression that your daughter is sitting in the library studying while her dorm mates are out partying (partying can be in another student's dorm) you are sadly mistaken. Understand that this is just a part of college life and take heart in the fact that you raised your daughter to make good choices. Now, suggest that those good choices include designating not only a driver but someone who will watch out for the rest of the group. Alcohol can cloud the best person's judgment and cause a woman to take unnecessary risks.

Encourage your college coed to go out in groups and never go anywhere during a party alone. This includes the ladies room, stairwells, and elevators. Recognize the fact that boys are everywhere. Encourage your daughter to go out with some boys that are well-trusted who will look out for your daughter's well fare.

Have your daughter tell someone where she is going. Even if she sends an email to herself stating where she is off to, if need be, it can be a clue to her whereabouts. Make no judgments against your child but recognize college life as a time of growth. Keep lines of communication open.

Do insist that your daughter contact campus police when she feels uneasy about anything. Part of your tuition goes for this service. Have her use it and not feel guilty about it. It is better to be safe rather than sorry.
Making friends in college is all part of the experience but insist that your daughter not go anywhere with anyone she has recently met. This includes a dorm room, lab, or anywhere where she feels insecure or unsafe.
Still with most college rapes taking place between acquaintances this is where that designated "look out" is key to safety. If this one point were made among young women and adhered to, perhaps some of these acquaintance rapes would be avoided.

For more information on college crime statistics and self-defense ideas please visit www.womens-self-defense-instruction-online.com/college.crime.html