Students deserve to study in an environment where they feel comfortable and mentally and physically safe during their educational pursuits. Unfortunately, campuses have become an extension of real life and the surrounding communities, as a school violence essay delineates. Students are more vulnerable to crime and violence because they move away from the safety of their homes and communities for the first time in their lives.
They become cozy in unfamiliar surroundings due to their naivety and homesickness and may begin attracting unwelcome attention, and they may end up falling prey to incidents of crime and violence as a result. According to university assignment help, FBI's 2016 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) college and university dataset show that 3,608 violent crimes and 67,449 property related crimes were reported across campuses in the USA.
There are three major types of violence in schools threats. According to assignment help UK, schools in Britain are not free from violence when compared to the US ones, but there are certain factors that are worth paying attention to. These measures and ways to prevent violence in schools can be replicated at New York college campuses in order to make them safe places.
Dealing with Gun Violence
The number of shooting incidents on or near college campuses is on the rise in the US. Gun violence has nearly doubled within a 5-year span, according to a survey from the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City. Nevertheless, some measures already taken by campus security are increasing vigilance, updating the security infrastructure, giving help assignment and encourage students to report suspicious activities, training students to be vigilant and learning to respond appropriately in the presence of an armed assailant or a security breach.
If we look at campuses in the UK, one factor that stands out right away is that gun-related incidents are far lower in the UK when compared to the USA. There is a legislative ban on guns and ammunition ever since a mass shooting incidence took place in 1996, whereas gun control is still a debatable issue in the USA.
Addressing Sexual Crimes
Sexual crime on US campuses is a real but understated problem. Here is why: according to the Department of Justice, every fourth female undergrad is to experience some kind of sexual attack. What is perhaps worse is that 95% of these assaults, rapes, in particular, wouldn't be brought to the notice of the authorities, as per ACLU.
Although the educational system of both the countries, England and America, respond to sexual violence with vigilance, there is a subtle difference in their approaches, as per one study assignment: The US-based universities respond to sexual violence in a standardized way and in accordance with the federal guidelines. Critics argue that although the infrastructure of addressing crime and violence is more pronounced, there is comparatively lesser commitment towards bringing about a cultural change at an institutional level.
On the other hand, as per assignment help UK, universities in England are working on the lines of bringing about a cultural change in the campus. Students are encouraged to request assignment help and seek counseling even. The security officers are altering their practices to take on a pastoral writing role in taking care of victims of crime and violence. This means having a zero tolerance policy for sex-related crimes, seeking help, running programs to teach bystanders to raise their voice, centralizing complaints, forging alliances with the surrounding community, the authorities and crisis centers, as well as sharing of best practices among the universities. For instance, King's College London orientation session includes safety advice from the local police, and professional support lent through college and students' union welfare.
Tackling Hate Crime
Hate crimes are a growing concern on American campuses. In 2018, FBI data showed a remarkable spike in hate crimes on campuses. Among types of violence in schools, 57% of the hate crimes were racial in nature, 26% were related to religion, and 16% were related to sexual preferences. Hate crimes are verbal and physical in nature, and they create a hostile environment which unfavorably impacts students' mental and physical health and prevents them from living and studying in peace.
How Campuses in New York can Reduce Crime and Violence
First and foremost, educational administrations have to realize that they have an important role in addressing crimes and find ways to prevent violence in schools. They need to focus on measures of preventing violence in the first place and then dealing effectively with the aggressors and supporting the victims. Some of these strategies in this regard are:
- Reporting of harassment should be encouraged across campuses to prevent escalation of minor events into full-blown incidents violence.
- Workshops should be held at campuses as well help assignment given to teach bystanders when and how to intervene when witnessing a crime.
- When it comes to sexual crimes, workshops should be held to teach students and staff members about the parameters of unwelcome conduct and the importance of giving and taking consent.
- There should be clear-cut policies towards incidents of stalking, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and violence committed by intimate partners.
- Professionals at the campus need to be trained to effectively in dealing with crimes, especially rape victims and give them the necessary assistance, especially informing the authorities and law enforcement officers in a timely manner and helping the victims get medical attention and counseling.
- The authorities are also required to promptly and thoroughly investigate all incidents of sexual crimes, respond to them in an appropriate and sensitive way. All steps should be taken to protect the confidentiality of the victims.
- Authorities should also learn to take the appropriate action against the suspect, especially in cases where an employee or staff member has been accused of being an instigator.
- Victims of hatred should be supported by the community to send across a clear message to silent haters and aggressors and defuse tension in the community.
It is the job of the campus administration and security forces to build an environment where students and teachers can work together in an environment free from threats and discomfort. Online assignments for students can be helpful in this regard. Despite being vulnerable to crimes, campuses also have the exclusive privilege to nurture a culture of peace and bring about a positive but gradual change in the society's outlook.
