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As a former university professor, Chi Omega alumnae, and the mother of multiple college age students I am VERY concerned about safety on campus. There are several things females should keep in mind if they want to have a safe, happy college experience. For example:
1. When you go to a party take along a bottle or glass with a top that must be screwed on or off. This means no one can put something in your drink without it being obvious.
2. NEVER put a drink down (i.e. to go dance, to go to the bathroom, etc) and then go back and drink out of it. Even if you are in a situation where you have to pay for another drink, it is a lot cheaper than paying for therapy for years after enduring the trauma of date rape.
3. ALWAYS make sure someone is looking out for you. My son (a junior at IU) has told me that he has had to go looking for girls when they seemed to have just become "lost in the crowd." He told me that he has pulled girls that were "out of it" out of boys rooms. These were girls that thought they were safe but didn't realize how easy it is for someone to slip something into their drinks. In both situations, the girls told my son that they were so grateful that someone actually noticed they were "missing" and didn't simply think they had gone off somewhere to fool around.
4. NEVER ASSUME that a girlfriend has gone off with her boyfriend unless she SPECIFICALLY tells you that she is going to be leaving with someone else. My niece's room mate was raped the first semester of her freshman year even though she was attending a small private Christian college and felt safe there. The young woman was missing and everyone told my niece not to worry because "everyone" tended to slip off in the night to be with a boyfriend. My niece was confused but the group finally convinced her that she was simply unaware of the realities of college life. Unfortunately, this situation was devastating both for the girl who was drugged, raped, and left half dressed in a parking lot and for my niece who has to live with the question as to whether or not a phone call would have changed the outcome of the situation.
Therefore, it is important to get to KNOW the people you are with and to understand where their boundaries lie. If a female is going to leave a party or other event to go hang out with a male, then they should tell someone. If the person is missing during the party/event it is critical that her friends begin to look for her.
5. BE AWARE of what is going on around you. Talking on the cell phone is great but if you are oblivious to where you are, or if you think having someone on the other end of the line makes you safer then you are mistaken.
6. Don't feel like it is stupid to call CAMPUS SECURITY to pick you up and drop you off when you have to be on campus late at night. Many girls can tell you that they didn't make the phone call that could have kept them safe because it "seemed silly" or "stupid" to call someone.
7. Let people (i.e. a roommate, a friend) know where you are going and when to expect you to return.
8. Don't forget to CHARGE YOUR CELL PHONE. It is impossible to call a friend, security, or call for help if you have spent so much time talking that you have no battery life left when it counts.
9. GET INVOLVED with campus life. The more people that you know, the more people you can depend on, the safer you are. In addition, you will have more fun and if you actually manage your time well, you will probably make better grades. There is some research that demonstrates that students that are very involved in campus life are happier, make better grades, and get better jobs after graduating. Keep in mind that employers want to hire people that have social skills as well as professional skills.
10. Try to do most of your partying at campus events. Off campus events (i.e. bars) are typically much more dangerous than events designed by/for college students. BTW: Purposely getting drunk is making a purposeful choice to "let go and let things happen." That includes bad things. Don't give up your ability to make good decisions for yourself. If you don't value your own safety then there is no reason to think others will value it or value you. It is that simple.
Lastly, have fun! As long as you are being as responsible as possible or unless you go to a school in which your safety is a serious concern, you should be fine as long as you are not stupid. University life is wonderful in most respects but there are issues that must be considered if one is to leave school emotionally healthy and ready to face the world.
Stay safe,
CHWG
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