Recognizing Trouble With a Capital T

The admission decision stretch run is under way.  This involves comparing and contrasting final college contenders before the May 1st National College Decision Day.  Students are boiling-over with excitement as they sense imminent adult freedom. But every young adult needs to know that also means responsibility and awareness of important safety issues in a bubbling caldron of energy and activity.

The Jeanne Clery Act was passed by Congress in 1990. Any college receiving federal funding is required to post information about campus crime and school efforts to improve safety.

So before your child starts drilling down to see the social media comments on his/her freshman rhetoric teacher, identify ways to help them safe. Visit

http://ope.ed.gov/security/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx

and review the crime incidents on campus.

When you are 18 and feeling immortal, the safety speech can get lost in the banter of discussions about college. Don't let it slide. It is up to the parents to insist on assigning a speed dial number for campus police and loading apps like Companion, Circle of 6 or Watch Over Me onto your child's smart phone. Find out what school safety protocols for the Mobile Age are in place; make sure there is an up-to-date crisis management strategy to contend with worst-case scenarios. Scan this website if you are short on talking points:

notalone.gov

And while the Big Picture issues need action plans, it also is crucial talking with the schools and upperclassmen/women about how sexual assault, theft and burglary are addressed on campus. We know by now the where-and-when of first-semester classes. But find out what education programs are available for students on the crucial issues of trauma, bystander intervention and sexual assault. Face it, mom. Your daughter may occasionally drift off during family discussions, but when the campus police chief is talking the reality of underage drinking and the boundaries between consent and assault, your daughter will realize informed is better prepared. And while we all might get lucky leaving a phone in an unlocked car in the home's driveway, the protection of personal belongings in vehicles, residence and dining halls should become second nature from the moment your child lands on campus. Awareness and a sense of a situation being not quite right are life skills best developed before the first day of class.

And lastly, devote a minute to “Shoulder surfing,” Electronic device privacy screens are a must-have for keeping personal financial information just that. Sharing passwords with new friends are bad ideas. Visit a local bank and rent a safe deposit box for the really important items. 

As your family considers the various pros and cons offered by each college, the campus policy on maintaining a safe environment is critical to everyone's planning and peace of mind.  

-Mike Ryan