NCJ Number
228566
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 251-268
Date Published
October 2009
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study explored college/university Web sites to determine the availability of a campus safety Web page and examined what type of Clery Act (U.S. Department of Education) mandated information was available on the campus security Web page.
Abstract
Results of the study suggest that many campus safety Web sites post information related to crime statistics and emergency contacts; however, they were less likely to contain information about crime alerts and emergency plans or procedures. Given these results, it is imperative that university administrators and Web-designers consider the ease and usability of obtaining campus safety information. In the United States, there are approximately 6,400 public and private Title IV institutions of post-secondary education. These institutions are required to report criminal offenses. One way to disseminate this information is through the Internet on the college or university's Web pages. This study was prompted by a perceived lack of consistency in providing campus safety information to college and university Web site users. The study, consisting of a sample of 323 institutions, sought to determine the ease of locating campus safety Web pages on private and public institutions of higher education Web sites and determine what type of Clery Act information mandated by the U.S. Department of Education was found. Tables and references