Unless you have spent a great deal of time hanging out in a cave you likely have at least some awareness that certain types of college crime have been on the rise in this day and age. Through this article you are provided an overview of campus and college crime statistics.
The United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly maintain comprehensive statistics on college crime. By considering these stats pertaining to college crime, you will have a far better idea of what your theoretical campus safety and student safety needs are as a college or university student in the 21st century.
At the present time, the most common type of college crime involves property crimes of different types. These types of college crime include theft of personal property as well as damage to personal property. Not only are students reporting a rising number of incidents of dorm room theft they are also reporting an ever increasing number of students who are seeing their property damaged.
Statistically speaking, when it comes to college crime or campus crime over the past decade, the reality is that over 80% of all crimes reported at colleges and universities across the United States are property crimes. Of these property crimes, the statistics compiled by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies reveal that almost all of this student crime is theft of property. This includes everything from dorm room theft to theft of property of students located elsewhere on campus.
One interesting spike in college crime involves a growing number of college and university students that are finding themselves the victims of identify theft. The fact is that many identity thieves have come to learn that college students typically have a great deal of personal and financial information on documentation in their dorm rooms. Further, oftentimes these same students maintain an incredible amount of personal and financial information on their laptop computers as well.
Fortunately, violent crime remains a small percentage of the overall college crime statistics that are being reported to and by law enforcement agencies around the country. (Keep in mind that these statistics pertaining to violent crime to not include garden variety fights and minor physical altercations. Violent crimes include homicides, rapes and very serious physical assaults.) However, while violent crimes are a small fraction of overall crimes committed on college and university campuses today (hovering at or below 1% in many instances) there nonetheless is reason for concern. The number of violent crimes that are being reported are moving upward, a trend which appears to be likely to carry forth unabated into the immediate future.
In considering violent college crime statistics, rape remains an ever present concern when it comes to campus crime. When it comes to rape and sexual assaults on college campuses, the vast majority of these crimes involve assaults by acquaintances called "date rape". "Stranger" sexual assault amounts to only a small fraction of the sexual assaults that are occurring on college and university campuses this year.
In summary, by being aware of the type of campus crime that is occurring at this juncture in time, you can be more vigilant. You will in a far better position to ensure your own college safety.
