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.