Taking Campus Safety Seriously... Don't Become A Victim! Get the Dorm 411...

by Christi Leslie, Founder & CEO of DormSmart.com
Creator of Dorm411.com

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Call Campus Security For An Escort

At Dorm411.com, we cannot stress enough the importance of taking campus safety, your personal safety, seriously. We know it can feel a little awkward to call campus security to request an escort back to your dorm room. We understand that most students believe a violent crime cannot happen to them, they feel invincible. Most of us feel that way at some point in our lives. For many of us, college is our first experience away from home and it feels empowering to finally have the freedom to make our own choices. Asking for an escort makes many of us feel little like a child again.

However, if you are a student headed off to college then here is an opportunity to learn from one family's experience...

"...Personally, I cannot begin to comprehend how it must feel to be attacked on your university campus… even worse by someone you know and trust... but I can comprehend how it feels to be the parent at the other end of the telephone receiving the news that their child has been harmed. I know well the feeling of powerlessness to help my own child. I remember sobbing uncontrollably, fearing for her safety, hopping into my vehicle then driving for 11 long agonizing hours as I wondered if she would recover physically, emotionally, and mentally. Asking myself, how would this impact her future and wondering if I remembered to tell her it was not her fault and that I loved her?

During the drive, I kept replaying in my mind all those conversations we had about never being alone with the opposite sex, no matter how well you think you may know them, not even to study. I remember telling my daughters and their friends to always meet in a public place or in a group and to remember to lock their dorm doors. I then began thinking; it is my fault because I let her go away to college. At the end the day, I know I said and did all the right things. I even purchased  personal security products, such as pepper spray, safes, flashlights... I now realize that as much as I wanted to and still do, I cannot build a bubble around my daughters. Bad things happen to good people every day and while we cannot control the world, we can control how we handle ourselves to hopefully prevent crime, avoid becoming a victim..."

TIPS FOR CAMPUS SAFETY & CAMPUS SECURITY:

1. Never be alone with a member of the opposite sex, unless you are willing to be intimate. Predators are cunning. They come in all shapes, sizes, ages, gender, economic levels, educational levels… they like to build trust then catch you off guard. 


2. Always call campus security for an escort after dark or anytime the campus is empty or whenever you feel uncomfortable. The awkwardness will subside and it dulls in comparison to dealing with the fallout of an assault… the examinations, the interviews, the stares, the whispering, the fear, court...  and that's just the beginning. It affects your relationships, your family, your grades... the recovery is more than physical.


3. Consider taking self defense classes. Many colleges offer them to their students on campus or check with your local police department. 


4. Whenever possible, travel in a group or pairs. Male or female, if you are out late with your friends, take a cab whenever possible and never carry a lot of cash. If you have no money... call your university campus security... many offer a pick up service.  If walking, stay in well lit areas! Always have a charged cell phone.


5. Pay attention to your surroundings at all times. 


6. Report suspicious activity.  


7. Stay current with your campus and local crime reports.


8. Always lock your dorm room door, even if it is just for a minute or two.

These are just a few tips for campus safety. Your parents have been doing this throughout your entire childhood. Now you are the adult and it is up to you, so choose to take your campus safety and security seriously, live dormsmart!