NCJ Number
224858
Date Published
2004
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Based on various studies and reports on crimes against students in the United Kingdom, this report draws lessons for reducing student criminal victimization.
Abstract
In April 2003, the British Home Office published research on the incidence of student criminal victimization in seven universities and higher education institutions in the East Midlands. In a sample of 315 students, 31 percent had been the victim of crime in the previous 12 months. Ten percent had been the victim of burglary. Students living in privately rented accommodations were over twice as likely to experience a burglary compared with those living in residence halls (12 percent compared with 5 percent). A number of universities have already implemented crime prevention initiatives for students both on and off campus. One strategy provides secure storage rooms where students can store their property during university holidays. Another strategy provides students with written crime prevention guidance in the form of leaflets and posters around the campus. Some universities are using e-mails to students, informing them of specific crime-related issues, such as where various types of crimes have been committed on and around the campus and the tactics used in committing the crimes. Some universities are promoting “Campus Watch” programs, which encourage students and staff to be alert to suspicious behavior and report it and witnessed crimes to the security department or local police. A strategy for reducing crime in private residences that house students is the landlord accreditation scheme, which requires landlords to maintain minimum standards for fire safety and security for student residents. This report advises that since there is a new admission of first-year students each year, crime prevention efforts require a committed and repeated approach every year. 11 references