NCJ Number
141286
Journal
Journal of Security Administration Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 19-29
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article reviews study results which show that campus crime is predominantly perpetrated by students on students and that drugs and alcohol are significant correlates; ecological causes of violent campus crime are identified.
Abstract
With the cooperation of 400 colleges and universities, the Campus Violence Prevention Center (CVPC) of Towson State University has compiled statistics on homicides, sexual assault and rape, physical assault, strong-arm robbery, bias-related violence, hazing violence, arson, and vandalism. Surveys were conducted for the years 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1990. Although the total number of reported incidents for all the participating campuses did not change across the board, increases did occur in specific categories and at individual schools. In 1989, CVPC conducted a 6,000- student national survey designed to assess the impact of alcohol and drug use on campus crime. Self-reported, anonymous respondents provided data that show criminal victimization is a common aspect of college life, with the most frequent crimes being theft, vandalism, fights/physical assaults, sexually related violence, and robbery. Students who reported they had committed a campus crime reported more frequent drug and alcohol use than students who had not committed a crime since enrolling in college. From the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators, the more violent crimes were associated with more frequent drug and alcohol use. Although students are the predominant perpetrators of campus crime, these offending students are generally not a problem in the classroom, dining halls, student unions, and libraries; neither are they apt to be problems in their home communities. This has led the researchers to hypothesize that campus violence and crime are related to the interaction of student characteristics and campus ecology. Ecological crime factors may include the absence of student interaction with campus adults, the absence of significant peer pressure against violent behavior and alcohol abuse, and physical design of a campus that does not promote student-staff interaction. A 19-item bibliography