How many times have you been walking home alone and you felt the “eyes” on you?
You were scared to look back, because you didn’t want to admit the truth.
College can be a fun place and great time.
But it can also be a very dangerous time too. Now keep in mind, I’m not writing this to scare you. I’m writing this in order to protect you.
Recently, I had almost become the victim of something bad. I was at a park and I was alone. There was someone there who was not of a nice nature. He was basically “scouting” me out in order to see how vulnerable I was. He disappeared for a while, but then he was going to come back and make his move. If I hadn’t left, I might not have been alive to tell the tale.
So, again, I’m not saying this to alarm you. I’m doing this to help you. People of this bad nature like to scout out open parks and make their moves on people who appear to be alone and vulnerable. It can happen to anyone, anyone from men to college aged women.
Do yourself a favor and protect yourself.
Open parks and college campuses are two places for guys (or girls) to hurt you.
You could frequent an open park or a deserted area on campus and not even realize that someone is there watching you and waiting for the right moment to make his or her move. Take a look at what happened on the news recently.
This young woman was driven to suicide and all because two other girls would not leave her alone. They harassed her and bullied her and wouldn’t stop. When questioned about the events the two girls said that they didn’t regret doing it and that they were proud of it. This is just one example of how people look for their targets.
Here are a few helpful hints on college safety:
1) Stay in well-lit areas.
Make sure that if you do go out, it’s not at night. If it needs to be at night stay with friends. They can’t hurt you if you are in a group. They will only target those who are alone. Always travel with a buddy.
2) If you are going to a party at night, stay there.
Make arrangements to spend the night with a friend, especially if it is off-campus. The next day have your friend come back with you, to make sure you get home okay.
3) If you do go to the park, go with a buddy.
As I stated, your abuser will not make a move if they see you are with a friend or in a group. If you don’t give them a reason to attack you, they will move on.
4) If you sense something weird, find a way to leave early without calling attention to it.
If you call attention to it, then they might follow you. Ask to leave with a friend. Never, ever go to a deserted area that you don’t know, especially at night. This is a prime place for your attacker to make his or her move. If going by yourself, always travel in heavily trafficked areas. Your abuser is not looking to make a scene. He or she doesn’t want anyone to see what they are going to do.
5) Contact campus security or the police.
Do this if you think someone may be watching you. Give as much detail as possible. That way they have something to go on.
6) Always be aware of your surroundings.
Always remember this, your attacker is looking to do things quietly, without any witnesses. So don’t give him or her a reason to make you the next target.
