College Safety

Nearly twice as many state insurance commissioners recommend renters insurance to college students in 2016 as did in 2013. In fact, the latest trend builds on an earlier report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) that recommended college students consider the benefits of purchasing renters insurance. NAIC recommends that “college students renting an off-campus apartment or house while away at school should consider purchasing renters insurance to protect their personal property, such as a computer, electronics, bicycle or furniture, in the event that it is damaged, destroyed or stolen.”

College students are heading back to school, many with the help of their parents who have invested thousands of dollars in laptops, smartphones, bicycles and textbooks on students’ packing lists. Consider this - how will your student and family replace these items if they were affected by theft, fire, water damage, and other risks?

   safety first by flickr user alex (svoalex), cc license After a very big spring in Clery Act and campus sexual assault news (including this White House Task Force report & this campus map), the past two weeks have provided plenty more in Clery Act-related stories. Catch up on this important campus safety news below.

  photo from flickr user Michael TheisFrom Chegg's The Student Hub survey of College and High School students:Women are markedly more concerned about on-campus violence than men:  41% of female students rank non-lethal assaults, including sexual assault, as a top concern on campus, while only 25% of male students do – that’s almost half. Conversely, 66% of male students rank property crimes as a top concerns, with only 48% of female students saying that.  

  "Burglars Burgle Elsewhere" by hobvias sudoneighm, cc license As part of our series investigating safety statistics for college campuses, College Parents of America presents our newest offering: incident rates of robberies and burglaries in student housing.  Robberies and burglaries are fairly common occurrences in residence halls. Such a statement is corroborated by the Department of Education's collection of safety data on the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. Using that tool, one can find out that between 2010 and 2012, there were 33,883 robberies and burglaries in residence halls across the nation--an average of over 11,000 per year. 

 photo from flickr user Michael Theis Over the next few weeks, College Parents of America will be evaluating data on college safety and releasing some helpful lists. However, given that this topic is oft-covered in the media, it is important to sort through and contextualize this information. This post, originally written by College Parents of America in May 2013, serves as a primer to understanding college safety articles. Please read on and follow along in the coming weeks as we release data-driven lists on issues, incident rates and arrests concerning college safety. 

  For a multitude of reasons, campus security is important both to college parents and college students. Knowing this, College Parents of America previously put together an article on how to navigate media articles on campus security, and key tools and how to evaluate campus security data. 

While it's natural to worry about your student's safety when she is away at school, you can help her be prepared and knowledgeable by downloading the College Parents of America Campus Security Checklist and reviewing campus resources available to your student.

Fire safety should be a priority in evaluating accommodations both before and after entering college. Your students should be aware of housing authority safety policies or create their own check list if living off campus: