Are College Campuses Safe?

Question: After reading accounts of crimes on college campuses I worry about my daughter's safety. How safe are college campuses?

Response: On October 29th the United States Department of Education published new federal regulations dealing with campus, fire safety, emergencies, missing students and hate crimes. These new rules, which came into effect at the beginning of this month, implement laws enacted in 2008, including amendments to the Jeanne Clery Act. Prior to the Act, name for a Lehigh University coed who, in 1986, was raped and murdered by a stranger, a student who abused drugs and alcohol, relatively little attention was paid to campus safety; simple security breaches like residence hall doors propped open were common. The Act now requires colleges and universities to release Annual Security Reports that include campus crime statistics, plus summaries of campus security procedures. The www.securityoncampus.org website provides a summary of the Jeanne Clery Act and other information about campus safety, including tips for college students.

Currently the latest cause of Constance Clery, mother of Jeanne Clery, is pushing the United States Congress to establish a National Center for Campus Public Safety. The United States House of Representatives has authorized the national center. The Senate Judiciary Committee now needs to act.

In spite of all the effort that goes into protecting men and women on college campuses, no college campus is 100% safe. The rules and regulations help, but it is up to parents to talk to their children about how to stay safe, it is up to the colleges to continually look at safety issues and it is up to students to think about their actions and possible consequences.

To read the federal regulations go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/E9-25373.htm