CAMPUS CRIMES IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Crime can be defined as an unlawful act, serious violation or illegal act punishable by the state of law or other authority. In reality, even currently, crime is an opposed theory across countries and culture, these crimes were hardly collected or rather sampled until the early nineteen century; some of the earlier data can be found in websites such as The proceeding of the Old Bailey 1674 – 1913. Campus crimes are wrong full acts committed in and within the campus facilities and institutions by the students. These disruptive crimes have been successfully discovered by the media and various interest groups who claim some of the crimes have been greatly spread by the court and politicians.
Campus crimes have risen to a magnitude of serious social problems, research is being undertaken to discover what triggers and the consequent effects of these crimes. In some extreme cases, affected students may drop out of studies. On the other hand, the students, staff, and the faculty are being called upon to help advocate to good moral behaviors. Events of crime vary from location to personal individuals who commit them, and these include murder, burglary, theft, drug abuse, drinking, underage drinking, sexual assault. Peer pressure is the key influence of burglary and theft, which, according to researchers, argues that they are committed by students from a humble background in order to meet their needs.
Alcohol abuse caused by excessive drinking has affected most of the campus for many years. Construction of social clubs near the school facilities has enabled easy access to alcohol, leading to excessive drinking. According to study students regard drinking as a passport into university culture, and student peers, alcohol abuse and other substance abuse have at large contributed to increasing in crime rates, must of the students who have been involved in the sexual assault have gradually reported that they were influenced by alcohol and substance abuse to
Alcohol consumption becomes prior to class attendance resulting in poor performance, physical injuries, financial stress, disruptive behaviors that may end up expulsion from campus. Sexual assault affects campus-age women (18-24). Most of the cases have ended up unreported. The study found that young ladies were assaulted without their consent, for they were under the influence of alcohol and drug abuse, for they did not know what was happening. In most cases, campus-age women live age mates and may feel peer pressure to participate in social activities like drinking, sexual activities, using drugs that make them uncomfortable being forced into unwanted sexual activity for social acceptance.
Victims of sexual assault may face health problems that include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and AIDS, substance abuse, panic attacks, eating and sleeping disorder, suicide, early pregnancy, and dissociation. Universities on campus find themselves held increasingly liable for injuries to students. As the student population increase, murder cases on campuses have skyrocketed, which has become a huge problem to be tackled by campuses. The biggest causes of murder are physiological and mental problems for students.
In April 2007 at Virginia campus, an armed student with a pistol murdered 23 students and seriously injured 25 a clear indication of devastation. Such incidents not only are they disturbing but affects students psychologically, physically and mentally they also create fear and insecurity among fellow students. It is believed that students exhibit high stress levels during this period and murder crimes are targeted at their fellow students these stress are triggered by romantic obsession, drug abuse, relationship anguish, rise of private hostels, gender based violence, social media ills, peer pressure, incompetent vice-chancellor, poor upbringing and deficiency of emotional intelligence.
To end this crimes, students, law enforcers, student leaders and campus administrators are required to be more smart and innovations in the development of new solutions to these complex challenges caused by campus crime. Solutions to these crimes should be achieved without compromising the state of our learning institutions. Associates should act fast to certify that these crimes are minimized at all costs. More creative and appealing strategy should be introduced in order to keep students engaged, this will not only reduce time wastage but also improve students interactions and other capabilities. University have to make sure that the students feel safe through encouraging personal safety, installation of CCTV cameras around the school premises.
Quick response to any form of occurrence and analyzing of crisis at each any every occurrence, proper monitoring and administrating on entry to buildings at odd hours, clarification of misplaced and recovered items, cooperation with local government and police services, creation of awareness on alcohol and substance abuse on a regular basis prohibition and confiscation of all drugs, campuses should increase parking and security officers and safety escorts especially for the ladies. The number of student being admitted should be regulated in order to control large number of student population. Institutions need to conduct emergence preparedness systems.
The school administration and individual women should create and implement safety programmers that frequently affects the freedom of women for a much safer environment.In conclusion, campus administration has the final obligation in ensuring that all campus associated crimes are curbed. Proper and good number of security officers within all campuses and ensuring that all security systems are fully functioning. Advanced technology has enhanced better ways to communicate with the students.
Sloan III, J. J., & Fisher, B. S. (2014). Campus crime. The encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice, 1-5.
Adam, D., Welch, N., Pendlebury, C. and Merrit, K. 2000. A Culture of consumption: An Investigation into Alcohol Related Drinking Problems Amongst University Students.Hamilton:WaikatoUniversity. http://www.alac.org.nz/FileLinks/2704_TertiaryStudent.e891a12c.pdf[Accessed4April2011].
AddictionSearch2011Bingedrinking.http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/binge-drinking_44.htm
Krebs, C., Lindquist, C., Berzofsky, M., Shook-Sa, B., Peterson, K. (2016). Campus Climate Survey Validation Study Final Technical Report.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. (2016). Campus Sexual Violence Statistics (link is external).
Hess, K., & Orthmann, C. (2011). Police operations: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Australia: Delmar Cengage Learning.