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In
the past year, Missouri Southern has experienced an unusual number of
stalking and harassment cases. Many
students think because the College s campus is small, stalking and
harassment are not as big of an issue as at larger universities. But
victims of this crime know otherwise. According
to a 2001 study by the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center, larger
universities do show higher crime rates than smaller colleges. That does
not mean, however, we are not susceptible. Those statistics are
deceiving because they are based on campus size, the surrounding
community, male-to-female ratio and residential versus commuter numbers. The
fact is, all college campuses can be a haven for stalkers. Why? Campuses
are closed areas and have activities and services where large groups of
students gather. Stalkers can easily gain access to their victims
without being noticed. Southern is no exception. So
what can you do to protect yourself? The
most important step is to not be silent. If you are being harassed, tell
someone. Report the crime to a friend, instructor or campus security. Everyone
needs to be aware this is a potential problem at Southern and more needs
to be done to prevent it. Why do we only have one emergency telephone on
campus? Why has no one formed a support group for victims of this type
of crime (as many other college organizations have)? The
harassment has to be stopped before it turns into violence. We do not
want this to turn into a hate to say I told you so situation. |
