CHICAGO—A survey conducted by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority found that students across six Illinois college campuses were satisfied with the performance, visibility and overall quality of the public safety office on their campus.
The “Student Perceptions of Campus Safety Initiatives” surveyed more than 5,000 students, who were asked to report their on-campus fear of crime, perceptions of risk, victimization experiences and protective behaviors, during the 2009-2010 academic year. Additionally, students were asked about their positions concerning common campus safety initiatives.
For the most part, respondents reported feeling very safe on campus. Students said they weren’t afraid of crime occurring on campus, although respondents indicated higher levels of fear during the night than during the day.
Additionally, though students reported low levels of perceived risk of criminal victimization, students felt they were at a greater risk of victimization on campus at night. Property victimization was more of a perceived risk than personal victimization. The most frequently reported crime throughout the school year was actual or attempted theft.
Furthermore, respondents were generally aware that their campus had an emergency response plan and believed that campus administrators had numerous procedures in place to convey information to students, staff and faculty in case of an emergency.
Respondents strongly believed that it was the responsibility of students and faculty to report dangerous students and supported the idea of campus counseling staff sharing concerns about specific students with campus public safety personnel. Additionally, survey participants believed applicants with multiple criminal convictions should be denied admission to school and those not affiliated with an institution should be restricted from accessing the campus.
Respondents also did not support allowing concealed weapons on campus, particularly by fellow students.
To read the full report, click here.
