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Running Head: COMMUNICATING CAMPUS SAFETY 1

Progress and Problems: Communicating Campus Safety

Megan H.L. Tucker

CTCH 644

April 27, 2011

COMMUNICATING CAMPUS SAFETY 2

Progress and Problems: Communicating Campus Safety

Campus safety has been an issue that has been brought to the forefront of media

headlines in the past decade due to such circumstances as increased sexual assaults,

aggravated assault and battery, robberies and campus shootings. In the wake of the

Virginia Tech Massacre in April, 2007, many colleges have begun to reevaluate their

safety protocols and readdress current campus safety concerns (Strange, 2009). A more

recent assault at Northern Illinois University in 2008 where five were

killed makes the point clear that America’s colleges and universities

can no longer pretend that they are different and free from the rash of

violence and fear that pervades society today (NPR, 2007). Whether

this form of violence comes through verbal hostility or in the form of

school shootings that end in death, campus safety is an urgent issue

that deserves the immediate attention of college administrators

(Strange, 2009). Campus safety concerns run the spectrum from

needing well lit areas on campus, emergency phones, clear signage,

sexual assault prevention and treatment, preventing and reporting

robberies and battery, to handling and preventing campus stabbings

and shootings (Fletcher & Bryden, 2009; Ricker, 1992; Strange, 2009).

This paper begins to examine decades worth of literature focusing on campus

safety for men and women, as well as current safety concerns that university services

must address and manage. Also included in the paper are recommendations and

directions for universities to proceed towards in order to address pressing safety concerns


that the research has illustrated. A list of safe practices to promote to the college

community is also discussed.

Literature Review

The literature focuses on the history of the chilly campus climate and school

violence, current campus safety issues, and finally, campus safety perceptions and

behaviors. The goal of this paper is to understand the history of campus safety concerns,

and to examine what safety protocols are currently in place on campuses. Based on the

literature this paper begins to consider what direction campus safety is headed in the

wake of school shootings and student attacks.

History of the “Chilly Campus Climate”

Hall and Sandler’s (1984) article discusses the presence of a “chilly campus

climate.” The authors described the term as female undergraduate and

graduate students who are frequently unable to experience equal

educational opportunities on a college campus (Hall & Sandler, 1984).

Since their foundational work, much of the research has sought to

understand the college environment including sexist behavior, sexual

harassment and safety that are making the campus climate “chilly” for

female students (Aleman & Renn, 2002; Rowan, 2002).

A few studies show that because of the chilly campus climate

mentality, some female students may limit their mobility around their

college campus because of fears for their safety (Currie, 1994; Kelly &

Torres, 2006; Sandler, Silverberg & Hall, 1996). Currie’s (1994) study


found that women were much less likely to travel to libraries and

student centers on campus because they were fearful. Likewise, Kelly

and Torres (2006) found that the women in their study also held similar

fears as those in the foundational “chilly campus climate” studies.

Many who were resident assistants, student government

representatives or group leaders still felt a vast level of fear for their

personal safety. They reported not wanting to live in residence halls,

walk outside at night and they feared that they would become victims

of sexual assault (Kelly & Torres, 2006).

Sandler, Silverberg and Hall (1996) found that if the chilly

climate mentality still exists then it must be perpetuated in the

perception and experiences of those students who live it. In other

words, a campus may be considered safe by administration or

university services, but individual students will still remain fearful of

campus violence or crimes.

Students’ fears may prevent them from fully engaging in the

college experience and their campus environments (Currie, 1994;

Rund, 2002). According to Rund (2002) an institutional climate is

critically important to student success. As such, the very essence of

campus life is more complex than it ever was before. Unfortunately,

the struggle for maintaining an open and accepting climate in colleges

is still a challenge to be faced (Rund, 2002).

Campus Safety Concerns and School Violence


Current issues in campus safety have not changed much since the 1980’s studies

on the chilly campus climate. However, now the focus has been placed highly on campus

sexual assaults, theft and school shootings or stabbings. Though the Virginia Tech

shooting of 2007 has reignited the media’s coverage of the severity of

campus shootings, it is only one of many violent crimes that have

occurred at colleges and universities (McKenna, 2009). A history of

violent campus crimes has extended for over 50 years with one of the

most highly recognized being the fatal shooting of 16 individuals at the

University of Texas at Austin in 1966 (NPR, 2007). In 2008 six

individuals were murdered at the University of Northern Illinois by a

gunman who took his own life at the end of his killing spree (NPR,

2007). One year later, Virginia Tech was again in the headlines for a

fatal stabbing of a female student who was decapitated in an on-

campus restaurant (McKenna, 2009).

Another current concern for campus safety surrounding the college population is

that of sexual assault and harassment (McDonald & Kline, 2004; Ricker, 1992; Schwartz

& DeKeseredy, 1997). College students are an especially high-risk group for sexual

assault. Statistically, college women are four times more likely to be raped than women

in the general population (RAINN.org, 2009). Ricker (1992) notes that of the rapes that

occur on college campuses, 84 percent of the victims know their attacker. Despite this

fact, Mcdonald and Kline (2004) found that women are far less likely to report a man that

they are dating that rapes her, then they would a stranger. Some campuses have attempted

to create programs to promote prevention strategies and safety behaviors, as well as to


encourage disclosure following an attack (Ricker, 1992; Schwartz & DeKeseredy, 1997).

These programs may also provide victims with a variety of definitions for types of rapes,

as well as common physical and psychological responses to rape.

Finally, a larger majority of campus crimes have often centered on break-ins, theft

or burglary (Fisher, 1995). Campus residency has allowed for an influx of student theft

from dormitories or campus apartments. Many students may prop dormitory doors open

for easy access or use an open deadbolt to keep apartment doors ajar during the day and

night (Katyal, 2002). The largest safety concern here is the capability of non-campus

related individuals gaining access to these resident halls, and preventing the building’s

security protocols from working (Katyal, 2002). If a dormitory or academic building is

equipped for limited access with keys or key cards, and those systems are bypassed, then

the threat of break-ins and theft are much greater (Fisher, 1995; Katyal, 2002). Likewise,

a college campus is often filled with expensive technology which may be campus-owned

or privately owned by employees or students. Fiel (2007) notes that it is often

unquestioned to see an individual walk around campus with expensive equipment such as

televisions, computers or printers which can put campuses at high risk of theft. Because

of this and the large number of on-campus residents at many schools, a visitor check-in

system is often used (Fiel, 2007). These visitation systems seek to monitor who is visiting

campus, for how long, and what their intentions of the visit are. The problem with these

systems is that in many cases there are so many students or staff on campus that it would

be nearly impossible to openly monitor who is a resident, employee, student, or who is an

outsider (Fiel, 2007; Fisher, 1995).

Campus Safety Perceptions and Behaviors


While sexual assault, theft and shootings are some of the most recognizable and

commonly covered campus crimes, they are not the only breaches of safety on campus.

Student and employee safety behaviors and perceptions lead to a greater understanding of

the variety of crime concerns on campus and how individuals address them. Current

research shows student, faculty and staff perceptions about campus safety are pointed

towards physical spaces on campus and preventing bodily harm. One study by Fletcher

and Bryden (2009) gave a questionnaire to 229 female faculty and staff members from a

Central Ontario University regarding their personal campus safety behaviors, and areas

for improvement. The article found that many of the women had high awareness and

personal safety behaviors but lower use of campus services and poor reviews of campus

features to promote safety (Fletcher & Bryden, 2009). Fletcher and Bryden’s (2009)

participants felt that the campus was lacking good lighting, proper signage and clear

locations of emergency call boxes.

A similar study addressed female students’ perceptions and experiences with

campus safety (Kelly & Torres, 2006). The study found that even though students

are avoiding places they believe are unsafe on campus, they are not

sure their individual efforts are enough to keep them safe overall. The

women in the study suggested the university trim or cut down tall

trees and bushes, add more emergency phones, and use additional

lighting around the campus. Kelly and Torres (2006) note that all of

these efforts are important campus precautions, but none of them get

to the root of the culture of fear.


Safety perceptions tend to differ between men and women.

Bryden and Fletcher (2007) conducted a study with male and female

faculty and staff about their safety perceptions on campus. Women were

significantly more likely to have called campus security, walk with another individual or

carry something to defend themselves than male participants. Likewise, women planned a

route with safety in mind, stayed home because they were afraid to go out, carried keys in

a defensive manner, avoided specific areas of campus at night, locked car doors when

alone and checked the back seats of their car for intruders (Bryden & Fletcher, 2007).

Recommendations

Campus safety will continue to be a pressing issue on college campuses around

the world. However, there are ways in which university student service groups and

faculty can promote safety behaviors and increase awareness. Based on the literature, a

few themes of increasing safety behaviors have emerged including: early alert systems,

educating the student body on personal safety, and promoting information-seeking and

assistance before or after a crisis has occurred.

Early Alert Systems

Following the tragedy at Virginia Tech, many universities have established a

virtual alert system for faculty, staff and students (Grinberg & Wade, 2007; McKenna,

2009). Though officials at Virginia Tech did send an alert email to the student body on

the day of the shootings, the message was missed by many of those already on campus

(NPR, 2007). These current alert systems consist of text messages and emails making the

campus aware of an occurrence or safety concern that they should be vigilant of.


Since the massacre, Virginia Tech has taken steps to adopt an updated early alert

system. At least 4,300 students and employees have signed up for its new emergency

alert system that notifies subscribers to campus emergencies by phone, text-message, e-

mail or instant messaging (Grinberg & Wade, 2007). Many other universities have

adopted similar procedures, including St. John's University in Queens, New York, which

utilizes text messaging to send alerts to students and faculty members (Grinberg & Wade,

2007). While the use of these systems is on the rise, this is not yet a norm at all college

campuses. Thus, implementing some virtual or telephone operated alert systems

nationwide is a goal that all community colleges, public and private universities should

aim for.

Student Safety Education

Aside from alert systems, college instructors and student service workers have a

responsibility to educate the student body on safe practices. Many universities and

community colleges offer one credit orientation courses to introduce students to the

campus. These courses are often listed as College 100 or University 101 classes. These

courses are a prime opportunity to introduce students to safety concerns and promote

self-awareness on campuses. One way to promote this is through campus safety reports.

Numerous public universities offer annual safety reports through the local police or fire

departments (Central Michigan University, 2010; George Mason University, 2010;

University of Illinois- Chicago, 2010). Central Michigan University’s (2010) police

department issues an annual student safety report detailing campus crime statistics.

Similarly, George Mason University (2010) in Fairfax, Virginia posts yearly safety and

fire reports on their police department website, along with safety tips and phone numbers


for support. The University of Illinois- Chicago (2010) does not have an annual report

posted on their website; however, their campus police site does offer external links for

reporting crimes or seeking help after an attack. These schools are only a small sample of

universities that offer such reports or online information for students. Utilizing these

reports as a teaching tool in these orientation classes may offer students a guide for places

they can go to seek help and personal safety strategies to put into practice daily.

Another option would be to promote safety training seminars on campus for

students, faculty and staff, as well as pamphlets and fliers promoting personal safety

behaviors to take part in on campus. Some information to be included in these courses or

other training materials is as follows (Fletcher & Bryden, 2009; Kelly, 2009; Van Zandt,

2010):

Report any suspicious behaviors or threats to the university or individuals to

campus or local police.

Don’t abuse alcohol or drugs on campus.

Know where the emergency telephones or call boxes are located on campus.

Walk on well lit paths, avoiding remote short cuts and parking in well lit lots,

especially at night.

Travel in the buddy system, especially when out at night.

At social events, drink only from sealed containers, avoiding punch bowls. If

you walk away from your drink for any period of time, get a fresh drink.

If you note something that appears suspicious, call your campus police. You

may save someone from becoming a victim of a violent crime.

Keep your dorm or apartment doors locked and don’t share your keys with

anyone or open the door to someone you don’t know.

Campus buildings that require key cards should never be propped open or

jammed to stay unlocked.


Be aware of your surroundings and always have an “escape route” or a way

out, especially in locations such as parties, bars and concerts areas.

Be sure someone knows where you are. If you don’t plan to be gone all night

or over the weekend, be sure someone knows to check on you as you do the

same for them.

Always carry a cell phone and have it programmed with the campus police

telephone number and consider the iPhone application “Silent Bodyguard.”

When activated, it notifies up to four different people that you are in a

dangerous situation and sends and resends your exact GPS location every 60

seconds (Van Zandt, 2010).

While these behaviors may not fully prevent campus crimes from occurring, they will

increase self-awareness and have the potential to avert crises when used effectively. The

hope is that when students become more self-aware and they are more willing to speak

out when they have concerns, that their fears will lessen and they will be able to fully

engage in what their schools have to offer them.

Promoting Safety Changes on Campus

The literature reflects a general feeling of uneasiness and fear when navigating

college campuses, or reporting campus crimes. In order to address these concerns, they

need to be voiced to the proper authorities. As a victim of campus crime or a member of

social support there is a certain responsibility to bring these issues to light. Approaching

student services with safety concerns or suggestions for improvements is one minor way

to open communication about safety needs on campus.

Faculty members are often recommended to report suspicious behavior to campus

officials in order to prevent safety threats. Faculty and staff should also be vigilant of

students who have been victimized or have openly expressed safety concerns. Knowing


where to direct individuals who are victims of campus crime is one piece of the equation.

Another strategy would be for faculty or university service members to hold open forums

for the campus community to address safety concerns regarding the campus or behaviors

of individuals there.

Campus safety is crucial in higher education, and it is in constant need of revision

and renovation. Though many steps have already been made to ensure a safer and

“warmer” campus climate at both small and larger universities, as well as community

colleges, this is still an area that requires attention. While there is no surefire way to

prevent campus crimes from occurring, it is possible to equip students, faculty and staff

with the information they need to address these issues and the awareness to understand

warning signs. Educating the college community about safety behaviors, directions for

seeking help, and equipping student services with the ability to act quickly in a crisis can

make a tremendous difference in how a campus community handles safety breaches.


References

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Bryden, P. & Fletcher, P. (2007). Personal safety practices, beliefs and

attitudes of academic staff on a small university campus:

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Central Michigan University (2010). Campus Security.

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