According to an analytical report supported with funding from the Department of Justice Canada’s Policy Centre for Victims Issues (PCVI), there have been a growing number of youths age 24 and under who have fallen victims of police-reported violent crime in Canada based on national, provincial, and territorial fact sheets in 2016. This may be a topic that most of us are afraid to discuss, but the alarming statistics don’t lie. The youth are especially vulnerable to being victims of criminal activities, and that’s all the more reason to have this subject out in the open.

However, there’s a misconception that once we are on campus, we are safe from another person’s wrongdoings or offenses. In fact, according to a November 2017 article in the Globe and Mail, a study of more than 20 educational institutions revealed that students on campus grounds have been victims to offenses of harassment or discrimination made by staff, faculty, and fellow students.

With this in mind, you can definitely benefit from taking extra safety precautions to ensure that you don’t become a part of the statistics. Below are a few strategies that can help keep you safe on campus at all times:

Be vigilant.

If you have to go from one building to another to attend your classes, it’s best to stay alert at all times, especially at night. This sounds easy enough to do, but you may have certain habits that make you completely lose your focus on possible threats. For example, if you have a penchant for texting or checking your Instagram or Twitter while walking, you are making yourself a likely target. Same as when you blast your Spotify playlist to the maximum through your headphones. Both are bad habits that will most likely cause you to lose your attention and be oblivious to someone with bad intentions who may be following you.

Always inform someone of your whereabouts.

It can be annoying when people keep asking where you are headed to when you go out, but simply letting them know can be a vital strategy to keep you safe. Even if you are simply making your way to the school library for marathon study sessions, it’s ideal to let someone know where you will be in case something terrible does happen. For instance, if the library closes at 10pm and you are still not home by 12 midnight, the person can take some safety measures such as inform the campus police or call mutual friends.

Keep your laptop secure.

Keep your laptop in your bag when not in use, and only bring it out during class or when you’re doing schoolwork or in a study session. Theft crimes are common on campus, and laptops are often the most desired items by thieves. These days, it’s not so much about the costs of these items per se, but what they contain. Not only would your laptop contain important school papers, they also contain personal information that can be used in an identity theft offense. This wrongdoing can prove to be extremely taxing if you are to become a victim. The thieves can spend money from your accounts, apply for new bank accounts, loans, and credit cards in your name, and commit other crimes using your credentials.

Simplify!

Women like to adorn themselves in high-end jewellery, and that’s perfectly all right as these ornaments are a good way to express ourselves and make a fashion statement, but they can also make you a target for thieves. Thus, if you know you will have a busy day in class and you are heading straight home after, there’s truly no need to be all dressed up. Leave the precious charms and trinkets at home where they will be safe. If you’re the type who feels naked without any adornments, go for budget pieces that you can wear every day. This way, if you do happen to misplace it or lose it, you wouldn’t be cursing yourself, which is the likely scenario if you happen to lose a pair of emerald earrings which is a family heirloom.

Be wary of strangers.

This is easier said than done, but we’ve always known about this rule since we were kids, right? After all, we’ve been told about it time and again by our parents or older siblings. Of course, this is not equivalent to us saying that every stranger is bad, it’s simply that you have to go with your gut instinct and be wary of whom you associate with, especially if you’re not familiar with them. If ever you find yourself in a situation where you would have to go with an unfamiliar face whether to study or go to an event with, ask a friend to tag along. Better safe than sorry!

SOURCES:

Be Street Smart

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54960-eng.htm

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadian-universities-under-pressure-to-formalize-harassment-assaultpolicies/article29499302/

https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-avoid-or-recover-identity-theft