If back-to-school means off to campus this year, there are plenty of ways to protect against the risks involved with college, experts with the Naperville Police Department say.
Crime Prevention Specialists Julie Smith and Jim Pacetti hosted a presentation called “Safety for the College-Bound Student” in an online format for the first time Thursday evening. Listeners heard what Smith described as a “conversation starter” to help young adults prepare for a safe experience at college.
Check out some tips the presenters shared to help incoming college students prepare for the challenges of this new phase.
Naperville PD says practice situational awareness
Being aware of surroundings goes a long way toward preventing crime and ensuring personal safety, Pacetti said. Use these strategies to stay attentive:
- Look where you’re walking and make eye contact with others.
- Vary the routes you take to common destinations.
- Walk with others in well-lit areas, instead of alone, and keep your hands free.
- Don’t walk or run with headphones to ensure you can hear what’s going on around you.
Safeguard yourself — and your stuff
College students can take several steps to stay safe in their dorms, apartments, classrooms, activities and relationships, Smith and Pacetti said. Try these ways to stay safe on campus:
- Never allow anyone to follow you into a locked dorm building without scanning an access card.
- Secure valuables such as laptops and cash in a closet, safe or locked drawer.
- Have a conversation with your roommate(s) about safety and personal belongings.
- Protect any medications; do not give or sell any prescribed medications to others.
- Be aware of frauds and scams occurring in online dating, through QR codes, by text, email and other methods.
- Meet at a safe location when going on dates or meeting someone from an online dating site.
- Use your own transportation to dates so you can leave immediately if needed.
- Show respect, demand respect and always get consent in intimate situations.
Know your resources and use them
College campuses are prepared with resources to help students meet their physical, mental, emotional and educational needs. Here are some ways to take advantage:
- Get to know the locations of health and counseling centers.
- Visit your campus safety office and ask questions.
- Find out if your campus offers a safe walking buddy system or blue-light emergency system.
- Sign up for campus emergency alerts.
Make good decisions about alcohol, drugs
Fewer people aged 18 to 25 reported drinking within the past month in 2024 than they did in 2021, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. The rate dropped from 50.9% four years ago to 47.5% last year.
“People are making better choices” while at college, Pacetti said. “So are you going there to learn, or are you going there to party?”
Here are a few of Pacetti and Smith’s tips related to drinking and drugs:
- Know your laws. For example, only 24 states allow recreational marijuana use, and the state where you attend school may not be one of them.
- Know your school’s policies and punishments for drinking or drug use in campus facilities.
- Keep an eye on your friends while drinking; use the buddy system.
- Safeguard your drinks to prevent being drugged.
- If you don’t feel right, go to the hospital.
Further college safety tips
Naperville police plan to post a video of the campus safety webinar online for future viewing. The department also offers back-to-school safety resources at naperville.il.us/backtoschool.
Photo credit: Adobe Stock
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