College campuses are inviting to predators

A college campus is a heavily populated environment and offers unique challenges when it comes to safety. According to crime statistics, one in four college girls will be the victim of some type of assault during their college career.

In the bigger picture, 85% to 90% of victimizations of women and children are by some- one familiar to the victim. This means a friend of a friend, acquaintance, classmate, neighbor, etc. What this also means is that most victimizations are not random, and if they're not random then they're preventable -- we just need to know what to look out for.

Sinister-minded people searching for victims on a college campus use many tools. They'll engage in social interactions to get to know you, then test you to determine if you would be a good potential target. They'll subtly and playfully use insults as a tool. This tool is designed to test what you'll tolerate. Remember, “what you allow you encourage.” If you'll tolerate the small stuff, you may tolerate the big stuff.

We all enjoy when someone is being nice and charming to us, however, it is a social tool that can be used for ill intent. Is the person just trying to get you to smile, or trying to break down your social protective shield in search of vulnerabilities. The next time someone is being charming and nice ask yourself one question, “what do they want?” Your gut will give you the answer.

Our personal boundaries are one of our best tools for safety. Someone looking for a victim will test boundaries. If your boundaries are repeatedly tested by the same person over and over, it should warrant concern and send you a message; they do not respect your boundaries and could be evaluating whether you are a good victim.

If you attend college, do not overlook good basic safety strategies that can help mitigate the “crimes of opportunity:”

1. Buddy system: not just for young children, remember, predators want their victim to be alone.

2. Lock your doors, check your windows: the importance is pretty obvious; many people overlook it, or just plain forget.

3. Guard your drink: the college environment especially, date rape drugs are still used.

4. The pack: College students are going to go to parties where there might be drinking. Agree with your trusted pack ahead of time to arrive and leave together, watch each other's back.

Other thoughts ...