In light of the recent sexual assaults that have occurred on campus, students have started to take their own precautions regarding personal safety.
Though few initiatives have been taken by campus officials, the prevalence of dangerous encounters is serving as a rude awakening to a number of young people determined to protect themselves,` now more than ever.
After one young woman was attacked near her Langdon Street apartment, relocating became one of few available options. When the apartment complex responded with indifference to a request to keep entrances secure, unsafe surroundings led to a vicious sexual assault.
With no choice but to physically fight off her attacker, moving to alternative housing was the only way to grant the student peace of mind.
Due to abandonment by authority figures, some young women have started carrying weapons to increase their safety.
While forms of portable protection commonly include mace and whistles, students have begun arming themselves with pocket or steak knives for further security.
As dependence upon such extreme actions continues to grow, so does the awareness among students to heed the safety measures as a warning.
As conditions become more serious, the option to properly protect oneself against the unknown is quickly turning into a necessity.
Furthermore, engaging in social activities now demands more active decision-making from the very moment students leave their residence.
As a young woman, walking among a group of females is far wiser than walking alone, but the demand to be accompanied by male friends is on the rise.
Considering some assaults consist of brief offensive comments or discomforting contact, females are often submissive in the instance they have been violated and refrain from vocalizing their disdain.
The empowerment added by ""safety in numbers"" is encouraging victims to speak up directly toward the offender in the hopes of discouraging further acts of assault.
In some cases, the threat of assault is changing the amount of alcohol consumption among potential victims. Aside from the heightened level of awareness it provides, drinking less is allowing concerned friends to see their peers home safely.
Following cuts made in the SAFEwalk and SAFEride programs, student drivers are offering their sobriety to friends who live across campus and want to avoid walking separately for long distances.
What used to be a well lit passage-way or a mere block from home can no longer be considered safe. Even a neighborhood believed to be secluded from any harm holds the risk of hiding potential attackers.
On some occasions, we must be allies to strangers, even if just through the gentle reminder that they should not be walking alone.
Allowing an insistent friend to walk you straight to your door is not a compromise of bravery or a weak act of compliance; it is simply the right thing to do.
While it is certain that some students still refuse to worry about potential dangers, a growing number of students are refusing to detach themselves from personal responsibility.
Those who previously believed their chance of being assaulted, mugged or raped as an unlikely occurrence are more deeply considering the consequences of the long walk home.
