Close menu

SURE

Sunderland Repository records the research produced by the University of Sunderland including practice-based research and theses.

The dark and desolate campus: what can be done to enhance students’ perceptions of safety on-campus?

Roberts, Nicola (2022) The dark and desolate campus: what can be done to enhance students’ perceptions of safety on-campus? Safer Communities, 21 (3). pp. 157-170. ISSN 1757-8043

Item Type: Article

Abstract

Given their young age, students are at a heightened risk of violent victimisation. Yet few studies have considered students’ perceptions of safety and the impact of these, on a British university campus. The purpose of this research was to close this gap.
From late 2019-2020, using an online university wide survey, data was gathered over a 3-month period from 550 students studying at a university in the north of England on ‘city’ campuses about their perceptions of safety and security on-campus.
Students, particularly women students were more likely to say they felt unsafe on the university campuses because of poor lighting, limited CCTV, security patrols, and the presences of others. They felt unsafe in and around teaching buildings, moving around the campuses, and in transport locations.
The response rate of the survey was 6%. Consequently, the findings are not representative of the wider student population on the campuses.
Campus Security should consider enhancing surveillance on the campuses.
Students, particularly women, limited the time they spent on-campus studying because they felt unsafe. Their choices about when and how to engage in their university education were therefore restricted.
This study addresses the gap in research on students’ perceptions of safety and the impact of these, on a British university campus. In doing so, it fore fronts the responsibility of Higher Education Institutions to enhance students’ safety, including their perceptions of safety, on-campus.

[img]
Preview
PDF
Manuscript 1 Final to submit (accepted track changes) SURE.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (266kB) | Preview

More Information

Additional Information: To reuse the AAM for commercial purposes, permission should be sought by contacting permissions@emeraldinsight.com.
Uncontrolled Keywords: perceptions of safety, strategies to stay safe, surveillance, Campus Security, university campuses
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Nicola Roberts

Identifiers

Item ID: 14791
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1108/SC-01-2022-0006
ISSN: 1757-8043
URI: http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/14791
Official URL: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/sc?...

Users with ORCIDS

ORCID for Nicola Roberts: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2619-1346

Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 06 Jun 2022 10:27
Last Modified: 09 Aug 2022 14:15

Contributors

Author: Nicola Roberts ORCID iD

University Divisions

Faculty of Education and Society > School of Social Sciences

Subjects

Social Sciences > Criminology

Actions (login required)

View Item (Repository Staff Only) View Item (Repository Staff Only)