NCJ Number
207866
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2004 Pages: 18-21,38
Editor(s)
Karen E. Breseman
Date Published
September 2004
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents findings from a study conducted at Ohio State University to assess the campus environment measuring students’ perceptions of safety on campus and impressions of crime prevention strategies.
Abstract
Longitudinal research studies on perception of safety have been conducted for several years. Many school campuses devote substantial resources to provide a safe environment for students because crime on campus negatively affects the student experience. This article presents findings from a study on safety conducted at a large, urban, research institution, Ohio State University (OSU). The OSU Poll, an annual poll conducted in the winter by the OSU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences’ Center for Survey Research provides a way for university departments to gather planning data developing and assessing programs and services. The intent is to assess the campus environment by measuring students’ perceptions of safety on and around campus and their impression of crime prevention strategies. Students were asked a series of questions about their feelings of safety and their impressions of certain crime prevention strategies. Since 1996-97, there has been an increase in student perceptions that campus is safe. Students commented on the importance of six possible crime prevention strategies designed to improve and promote student safety. Emergency telephones were viewed as the most important crime prevention strategy with lighting improvements and greater police/security officer presence ranked second and third, respectively. Educational programming was seen as the least important.