How to stay safe and sound in college

Student life can damage your health. All around the country students are burgled, attacked and have their bikes stolen. It is the typically transient nature of student life that lets this happen to students. People come and go as they please around college campuses.

Getting enough points to go to college doesn't ensure invincibility. Students new to an area may not realise that where they are living is not that secure, nor is walking home alone in the dark.

This explains why DCU's general services superintendent, Raymond Wheately, believes that the first month in college is crucial. It's during this time that students need to "get used to being safe, they need to educate themselves a little more. Students themselves need to become aware of their own safety. Incidents come about if they haven't followed procedures."

Colleges around the country with on-campus residences tend to have security around the clock. But in the end of the day, it's up to students themselves to take a certain amount of precautions.

Siobhan Fearon, USI student welfare officer, says that the main advice USI has for students is to have "basic common sense - don't walk home alone, particularly women. If you do, make sure people know where you are and what time you'll be home at - people can be out all night but not noticed missing until the next morning."

Students come and go - and neighbours may not know who is living next door. "If you're going home for the weekend, ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your property." Students can also get involved in Campus Watch or Neighbourhood Watch to increase security.

Nessa O'Mahoney of the Irish Insurance Federation says that up to this point it has been quite difficult for students to get contents insurance. This is mainly due to "the transience of population," which means that quite a number of people may be passing in and out of a building at different times.

Students lucky enough to be living in a safe and secure apartment may find an insurer. The main thing is to have as much security as possible - locks on windows and alarm systems make places much more secure and insurable.

However, to the relief of the not so lucky, insurance brokers HSBC Gibbs McDowell have recently come up with a contents insurance policy designed specifically for students. Students don't have to meet any security requirements. Premiums start at £39 for students living in designated halls of residence and £59 for those in shared or non self-contained accommodation.

Fearon says that, as another expense, "insurance is not high on the priority list for students." USI would encourage students to get valuable items covered under their house contents at home, as "their parents hopefully wouldn't charge them."

Personal alarms are top of the list for personal security. These are available from most students' unions at subsidised rates and are a handy deterrent to an attacker. Speaking from personal experience, Fearon says that a personal alarm, when placed over the front door, will be set off if the door is forced open.

If burgled or assaulted, students are advised to contact the Gardai. During the day they can get advice from their students' union welfare officer.

The operation of campus security schemes such as Campus Watch in DCU and UCC, and Unicare in UCD has been very successful in reducing crime against students. Students can contact security 24 hours a day from both internal and external phones and some campuses have phones which connect directly to the security unit.

UCC is lucky not to have a very serious crime problem, says Denis McDonald of Campus Watch, with "just the odd bicycle stolen."

In UCD "rape is the most single worrying thing," says USI president John Nisbet. "Sexual attacks, attacks and rapes have occurred on campus, but there has been a decrease." Nisbet says, while Unicare "are great," he would like to see "the security budget being stepped up."

Barry Walsh of Unicare in UCD says there is a constant upgrade of CCTV and regular additions to their projects. "We feel there is a great awareness of security on campus, there is a great effort on everyone's behalf." Levels of crime are decreasing all the time. Nisbet's advice for students is that "it is very straightforward: never travel alone through campus, if you must, contact Unicare, they'll escort you to civilisation and safety. It's a whole college thing, otherwise it wouldn't work."

Student Helplines

(Confidential Listening Services, not Emergency Services):

From mid-October, Istoiche, a national helpline run by USI, will be open from 9pm to 2am. This is basically a listening service, but they can refer students to professionals - 1850 2000 87.

UCD and Trinity students unions together run a nightline from 9pm to 2.30 am from Thursday to Sunday. This confidential listening service can be contacted on 1800 793 793.

Emergency Numbers

In an emergency, students are advised to contact the local gardai or the emergency services on 999. During college hours they can contact their students' union welfare officer for advice on a situation.

DCU 704 5999 Campus Watch (24 hours)

UCD 706 7999 Unicare (24 hours)

UCC (office hours), (security desk, main gate, 24 hours)

UL 061 414222 (security) and is the number from the proposed security phones

NUI Maynooth For emergencies ring or on internal phones to connect to the local gardai or on internal phones and 7083929 on external phones connects to security. At the prompt the following numbers must be entered to connect to relevant security unit: for main gate; for Patrol South; for Arts building; for Callan Campus.