Safety First! How to Prevent Rape
College is an exciting time. It's a time to declare your independence, to decide who or what you want to be, and it's a great way to meet lots of fun and interesting people. However, when you're out meeting new people, going to parties, or you're just walking to class, you should always have safety on your mind. Safety on college campuses is something every student should take very seriously. That's why, whether you're a new student or you're a senior waiting to graduate, you should think about taking self defense classes or you should at least carry a weapon with you such as pepper spray in case you're ever confronted with a threatening situation.
Rapes on college campuses have always been a huge issue. Some of these rapes occur while the student is on a date, but all the time you hear of a student getting raped walking to her car or to her apartment after dark. It's during these times, when the sun goes down, that a college student is very susceptible to abduction or rape. However, a college student who has taken self defense classes could easily disarm a potential rapist, even if the rapist is much larger than the student. Likewise, if the student carried pepper spray on her key chain, she could spray the rapist's eyes, which would incapacitate him long enough for the student to get away.
Speaking of walking to your apartment at night, you, as a college student, should be aware of your surroundings at all time. However, getting inside your apartment doesn't make you safe. You should always check the locks on your doors and windows to make sure they're secure. Also, never open your door to a stranger. If you don't recognize the person on the other end of the peep hole, ignore them until they go away.
Roommates are another problem that students don't often think of. Sometimes, roommates can bring shady people into your home, or your roommate might become the attacker. For this reason, it's again advised that self defense classes and/or pepper spray be considered.
Now, just because you're a college student doesn't mean you can't have fun. You can have fun as long as you're careful. This goes especially for dating. When dating, make sure friends know where you are at all times. Have them call to check up on you if you're going to be out late, and make sure you always meet new dates in a public place.
The above tips will keep you safe so that you can have an enjoyable and memorable college experience. Parents should always teach these tips to their children before they head off to college. If all parents did this, we might not hear of so many attacks, rapes and other crimes committed against students on college campuses.
In fact, parents should encourage their children to take self defense classes and should provide their children with the pepper spray so that they remain as safe as possible.
