Personal Safety

Street Sense Is Common Sense Crime is a fairly common occurrence in today's society, in varying degrees, and it is important to educate ourselves about how we can avoid becoming a victim. Most criminals are adept at reading signs in human behavior that identify easy targets. However, in most cases, it doesn't take much to discourage them and compel them to pick on someone else. Although there are no guarantees, if you follow these safety tips you may lessen your chances of becoming a victim of crime. Don't assume nothing will ever happen to you. You'll never be prepared in the event it does. Things that diminish awareness, like drugs and alcohol, fatigue, and use of personal electronic devices, may attract the attention of someone whose motives are less than honorable. Being under the influence of any substance to such a degree as to be unable to give informed consent leaves you open to sexual assault. If you really want to please a thief, just leave your property lying around unattended while you shop or are otherwise distracted. It only takes a thief a few seconds to walk by and lift your pocketbook or cell phone while your back is turned. Never ignore your gut feelings about a situation. IF IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, IT PROBABLY ISN'T. Acknowledge those feelings and act upon them accordingly. Body language tells a lot about a person, and this can work both ways. Walk with an attitude that says, "Don't mess with me." Watch the body language of others for signs that you've been picked as a target: seeing the same person around you at different locations; anyone running toward you who appears to be focused on you; hearing fast footsteps from behind; a stranger eyeing your pocketbook or jewelry. Remove yourself from the situation as fast as possible. Be aware of your surroundings. Know what's going on outwith your own personal space, within earshot, and use your peripheral vision. Keep your head up and stay alert. Identify safety resources (emergency phones, police location, busy offices, stores that stay open late) before you need them.	Mixing Youth With Alcohol Drinking a beer has become a rite of passage for teenagers that often has dire consequences. These are not social drinkers. They are youngsters consuming alcohol to such an extent as to be a danger to themselves and others. Don't kid yourself; today's youth are not waiting until college to binge drink. High school kids are deeply involved in the keg party scene and, more and more, parents are condoning this behavior by buying the beer, opening their homes to the young guests, or even taking off for the weekend, leaving the children in charge of the property, with the knowledge that a party is planned. Even if you have reared your kids to be responsible young citizens, it's easy for situations to get out of control when uninvited guests appear at the door. The word on local, underage parties travels fast, and before the unsuspecting host(ess) knows it there are 200 rampant teens, drunk and out of control, destroying their parent's home. Peer pressure often discourages calls for help to neighbors or police when a party gets out of control, and hysterical requests for everyone to leave fall on deaf ears. Ultimately, the police usually arrive anyway, after neighbors complain about noise or large crowds in the area. Alcohol and Sports - An Unhealthy Mix Cobb Teen Drinking Data
Is Your High School Senior Ready for College?  There are steps you and your college freshman can take to reduce the risk of the new student becoming a victim of crime on campus. Young women are especially vulnerable, but male students face risky situations too. The problem can become serious fast if the young person is not even aware there is one. These are kids who are away from home for the first time, facing responsibility for their own actions, and making decisions that may affect their futures. Underage drinking is one of the major dilemmas facing young adults. Freshmen must resolve whether to drink, what, how much and with whom almost every night during the first semester. It is rare for any event on a college campus not to include alcohol, especially if it is not a college-sponsored affair. Thursday is traditionally party-night at campuses throughout the nation, and the most significant impact is upon the freshman females, who are often plied with drink and drugs and sexually assaulted. They are frequently so drunk they don't know what's happening to them, or won't remember the next day. Ambulances are probably called most frequently for students who have alcohol poisoning, a serious issue that can result in death. It isn't only the women who find themselves in unmanageable predicaments. Young men, some still immature, are also susceptible to the many temptations made more accessible by alcohol. Drunk women are easier to have sex with, and the judgment of alcohol soaked young men with raging hormones is distorted, resulting in some situations that can be life altering for all involved. Messages between people become mixed at the best of times without the additional impediment of alcohol, but when lack of experience is thrown into the mix it can have devastating results. Being in possession of an alcoholic beverage before the age of twenty-one can result in arrest. It may seem inconsequential until the graduate applies for a job, and finds that his or her criminal record sticks like glue. The beginning of the first semester in the college year is when most sexual assaults occur, although they are often not reported to authorities for a variety of reasons. Young women away from home for the first time are vulnerable. They become embroiled in risky situations, often as a result of their efforts to become accepted by their new peer group. Most of those assaults are so-called “acquaintance rapes” perpetrated by males no less guilty or dangerous than the rapist who leaps out of the bushes and carries out his assault on a stranger. It can have a lifelong impact on the victim. Women should be urged to make full use of Escort Services available at most colleges, form a buddy system with friends and roommates, and avoid situations that might result in placing them at risk of assault. Many college dorms are dens of iniquity, where drugs are easier to get than alcohol. Some are prescriptions that students have obtained legitimately from their doctor for a variety of conditions, and which they re-dispense to their fellow students to turn a heavy profit. Others are street drugs of unknown origin sold out of dorm rooms. Often, women become unwitting victims of sexual assault or other violent acts when their drinks are tainted by those same drugs that others take by choice. If your child's roommate is dealing marijuana or other drugs from their shared room, there is every possibility the innocent party, your child, will be the subject of an investigation too. Are laptops mandatory at the school your child has chosen? You'd better make sure that it's secured somewhere safe when it's not in use. That also applies to cash, CDs, IPods, credit cards, and anything else that isn't nailed down. There are career criminals who are in the market for any stolen item they can turn over for a hasty profit or to feed a habit. Some are fellow students, others are guests, and there are those who come in off the streets, particularly in urban locations, to perpetrate crimes of opportunity. You'd be surprised how many residents leave doors unlocked and expect their property to be there when they return. There is a false sense of security and a notion that “it won’t happen to me” when it comes to perceptions of victimization. Even leaving a door unlocked for five minutes while the resident uses the bathroom down the hall can result in a loss. The simple act of pegging open an exterior door in the residence hall can have devastating results. Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman was raped and murdered while asleep in her residence hall room on April 5, 1986. Her perpetrator entered through a door that had been pegged. Colleges don’t run criminal records on incoming students. Murderers and rapists are not barred from attending school. Befriending the wrong person can have severe consequences. Urge your child not to trust new friends too soon.	Checking Out Your Child's College Visit Security on Campus. You can look up crime statistics for your college of choice there. They may also be found on the college's web site, or picked up at various locations on campus. By law, campus crime statistics must be published. Specifically look for violent crimes. Those will have the most impact on the young student's quality of life. However, the reality is that some schools may not be entirely honest when it comes to reporting statistics in areas like sexual assault. As soon as you move your freshman into the residence hall, check out roommates, emergency plans, security measures in the building, and ask to speak with the Resident Director who is responsible for the building where your child will reside. Just remember that appearances can often be deceiving. Don't judge by the number of piercings, hue of hair, or other immediately obvious fashion statements. This is college, a time to experiment and be a free spirit. As long as it's harmless, don't worry. Attend any presentations that give you the opportunity to speak with Campus Police or Security Forces, and ask questions. Find out what resources are available if your child is having difficulties. Having a heart-to-heart conversation with your child prior to his or her departure for college is vital. While safety issues should be high on your list of topics, you should also offer your support in the event your child gets into trouble, serious or trivial. Many suicides, attempted or completed, occur as a result of youngsters being afraid of the consequences of a plight they believe is serious enough to enrage a parent. In reality, the situation is often blown out of proportion in the child’s mind. Reassurance by parents that they will lend support regardless of the gravity of the predicament might help to avoid such an occurrence. Remember your own youthful indiscretions………and try not let that frighten the life out of you!