Special report: safety on campus: most schools are safe havens for learning. But dangers—crime, alcohol abuse, fire hazards—do exist. Knowing the realities can help you protect yourself

Careers and Colleges, March-April, 2004 by Nancy Fitzgerald

It was the rail end of finals week, and Erica Madden *, a sophomore at Indiana University in Bloomington, had gone to bed early while her roommates celebrated the finish of another school year. When the party was over at about 3 in the morning, the roommates left to drive their friends back home, leaving Madden in the apartment alone--or so they thought.

As soon as they pulled off in their cars, a couple of uninvited guests sashayed in through the apartment's unlocked door and proceeded to help themselves to what they wanted. When Madden's roommates returned, their four stereo speakers were gone, and there was an empty space where their prized recliner used to be. "It was kind of creepy," Madden admits, "to think that they were in the apartment while I was sleeping. In theory, it was our fault since we left the door open. But we left it open most of the time--we never felt threatened."

Campus security directors around the country agree: She should have been more cautious. "Once students get that familiar feeling on campus," says Dolores Stafford, director of police at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., "they end up feeling like it's home in a different way than they should. They feel like it's their mom's house." And that kind of complacency can lead to unhappy experiences like Madden's.

The good news for incoming college students is that campus crime has actually been declining. According to the Department of Education, burglaries at colleges have dropped by half from 2000 to 2002. Increased awareness has certainly helped students to protect themselves. You should begin by knowing the safety records at your college choices. You probably won't find a crime report in a college viewbook, but thanks to a law passed by Congress in 1990, that information is easy to get. The law requires all colleges to post their crime statistics at http://ope.ed.gov/security.

Crime is just one of the threats on campuses--students also have to cope with the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and fire. (Identity theft is also a growing concern--see & Another Thing on page 48.) But by being aware of dangers and taking precautions, you can have a safe college experience.

A DANGEROUS BREW

Scott Krueger was really smart. He had the brains and drive to make it into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the nation's top schools, where he planned to major in computer science. But just one week into his freshman year after an "Animal Night" fraternity party that featured chugging a bottle of spiced rum, he died of alcohol poisoning.

Krueger's tragic death illustrates a critical lesson for every student heading off to college: The biggest danger you may face there will be alcohol. Nationwide, 44 percent of students have engaged in binge drinking, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. According to The Chronicle, arrests for alcohol violations increased 4 percent from 1999 to 2001; arrests for drug violations grew by 10.2 percent.

And security officials say that not only does heavy drinking put you at risk for alcohol poisoning, it also makes you more likely to commit--or become a victim of other crimes, too. "Alcohol is behind 90 percent of campus crime," says Howard Clery, the treasurer for Security on Campus, a crime information network in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It's often the fuel that fires crimes such as theft, vandalism, and rape.

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE

* When you hit drinking age, remember to always drink in moderation and try alternating with non-alcoholic beverages.

* Stay away from chugging contests and other drinking games.

* Be aware of who's dispensing drinks. Don't accept any drink from a stranger.

DATE RAPE

Kate Murray was upset about her boyfriend, who attended college in another state. So she was glad to be spending the afternoon with her friend Jim at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. When the freshman visited Jim's dorm room one day, she began crying.

"It was a vulnerable moment for me," Murray recalls. "He started to comfort me, but before I knew it, he was pinning me down. And he had turned the stereo up so loud that nobody could hear when I started screaming."

Murray had become a victim of date--or acquaintance--rape, a crime that has increased on many campuses. Safe Campuses Now reports that one in eight women will be raped during their college years, and 84 percent of them will know their assailants. Murray didn't report her incident because she was too embarrassed to talk about it.

Although most of the time date rape occurs while students are using alcohol or other drugs, that wasn't the case for Murray. "There was no alcohol involved," she says. "But people will take advantage of you if they want to."

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE

* Avoid alcohol and drugs, and be especially vigilant about date-rape drugs. Don't leave your drink where somebody can slip a drug into it.

* Always plan your "exit strategy." Bring enough money for cab fare home, and if you can, carry a cell phone of pager.

* Don't go out alone late at night. If you do take advantage of a school's escort or shuttle services.