Perception and Realities of Campus Crime

Abstract

Recently many steps have been taken toward increasing the safety and security on the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) campus such as the creation of campus escort and implementation of emergency blue light phones on campus. However, students may still feel unsafe and unsecure on campus. These potential feelings may stem from a lack of awareness of various security measures or a belief that these measures are inadequate. Just like crime statistics, student perception of safety and security is arguably an important measure of the effectiveness of University police. With the information and insight gained from surveying the student population’s perception of campus safety and security through institutional review board (IRB) approved questionnaires, this descriptive study aims to identify whether there are any statistically significant fears of crime or victimization within this sample population. The results of this survey show that the students surveyed did not demonstrate any overt safety or security concerns and also that students had a minimal fear of crime on campus. However analysis of responses by various sub-categories indicates that the study should be replicated perhaps with a focus on gender perceptions of crime.