When you go to college, you might wonder what steps you can take to keep yourself safe. Some things, such as ensuring your kitchen is clean to avoid illness from contaminated food, are obvious. Others, such as how to decrease your chances of becoming a victim of sexual assault, may not be so. The specifics covered from the UCLA sexual abuse settlement cover how assailants can potentially be trusted adults, as well as other students. Before you embark on college life, it is important that you have some safety tips below your belt for both prevention and where to turn for advice and support.
Locate Resources
Each college or university should have safe spaces you can go to if you need to discuss any issues, concerns, or simply gain information. Each campus should have a form of security on-site, as well as a health center or doctors, as well as an information center. You could also speak to other local services, whether related to your school or not, who may be able to provide other forms of support or assistance. These campus resources are usually free of charge and can be used for one-off or long-term support and guidance.
Join a Self Defence Class
While violence isn’t good, knowing some self-defense can be helpful. Self-defense is not only a great form of exercise and stress relief but also has real world applications. It is imperative that these skills are only used in the correct situation, such as fending off a thief or potential attacker. There is no shame in needing to use physical force to defend yourself. You might find a class at a local community center or gym. Some colleges and universities also provide these courses to help enable the safety of their students.
Make Smart Choices
Many see college as a time to experiment with alcohol or sexual experiences. These experiments are normal common for many young people, but can put a person in potentially dangerous situations. While these are never the fault of the victim, it can be worthwhile being mindful that not all people are trustworthy, particularly those you have only just met.
Instead, it might be worthwhile to build connections with people and limiting the amount of drinking you do. This will not only help to reduce the risk of you becoming a sexual assault victim, but also be better for your health overall by limiting liver damage, the risk of sexually transmitted infections from numerous partners, and give you more autonomy away from society and peers’ expectations.
Going to college can be an amazing experience where you can learn both your subject matter as well as life skills. You may also end up meeting lifelong friends or even your life partner. Through all these experiences, you can put steps into place to minimize the likelihood of this time becoming overshadowed due to another person’s cruel actions. There is never any fault on the victim, but it is a good idea to avoid any potentially harmful situations.
