East Midlands Report FAQ's
Some FAQs the East Midlands Student Safety Report
1. Why does the Home Office research only focus on the East Midlands?
Why does the Home Office research only focus on the East Midlands?
The Crime Reduction Director of the East Midlands saw the potential of reducing student victimisation in the area and commissioned research to be done to inform the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships about the extent of student victimisation in the region, and provide recommendations on potential ways of addressing this.
Whilst the research only looked at Universities in the East Midlands region, we believe it is representative of the country as a whole. Studies in other areas have produced comparable results, for example the MORI/UNITE Survey on Student Attitudes 2003.
Why has the research and the campaign focused only on students - all young people appear to face the same risks?
The British Crime Survey methodology doesn't include students who live in institutions, such as university halls of residence. This means that we are not able to find out about the experiences of almost a third of students who live in halls of residence. There was a need for a wider picture on the nature of student victimisation and this research was conducted to ensure that the experiences of all students are highlighted.
By focusing on students, we can look at the main problems they face, and develop methods of working with the universities to ensure students and their property stay safe during their time at university.
Students provide a readily accessible group, but we are also targeting advice at other young people.
The research mentions a link between drug taking and being the victim of crime. Why are students who take drugs more prone to violence and burglary?
It is possible that those students who take drugs are less likely to take precautions about protecting themselves against crime, and are therefore more likely to become the victim of crime.
Repeat victimisation has been highlighted as being particularly high. Why are there such a high number of repeat victims?
Repeat victimisation is a problem that goes wider than students - all those who have been burgled, for example, are at increased risk. Students need to be aware of how they can reduce their personal risk, and risk of crimes against their property. We must make sure that students received crime prevention advice when coming to university, and again if they are victimised. Our research on student safety has shown that students who take security precautions are less likely to be victimised than students who take no precautions.
The East Midlands report talks about University vacations. How can students protect themselves when they are away during the holidays?
Students also need to ensure that they take care of their property and themselves not only when they are at university but also when they are away from their property during the holidays. Students often leave a large proportion of their property in their university accommodation when they leave during vacations. They need to make sure that their house has adequate security measures fitted, and use them lock all doors and windows.
Students should preferably take their most valuable belongings, such as computers, hi-fi's, and TVs home with them. If this is not possible, leave them in secure storage or ask a trusted friend or neighbour to keep an eye on the property.
A number of universities have schemes to provide secure storage for students property when they go away during Christmas and Easter vacations.
Last update: Last update: 14/01/04