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Ok, so I thought I had given my 18 year old son all the basic instructions so that he could get along, on his own, without mommy being around. Cooking, laundry, managing a checking account and writing a check, writing thank you notes, sewing a button, ironing a shirt… But it seems that there was a huge gap in my teachings: personal safety on the streets.
This realization became a pressing item to address when Pam, a good friend called to let me know that her son had been mugged – just a couple of days after having dropped him off for his college freshman year! HE IS OK. But I don’t even want to think of the horror of getting such a call at 1:00 am when you are 800+ miles away from your child.
The story in short: Drew, the son in question, was walking back home with a group of new college friends when they 
were accosted by another group of youths that were selling drugs. I don’t have details on the situation, but know that the exchange between the two groups degenerated, with the “hoodlums” running off with Drew’s brand new, latest model iPhone. Insulted, he looked to retrieve the phone, only to be assaulted and beaten to the ground. Friends called 911 and Drew spent the remainder of the night in the ER, being tested and scanned before being sent back to his dorm. We now jokingly call it “the Good Assault”, meaning that though Drew had two black eyes and other nasty bruises (physical and emotional, I’m sure), he was lucky that there were no severe injuries. AND, this was “good” in the sense that it created an excellent wake up call for the rest of us: TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY!
I’m feeling horribly embarrassed and guilty that I never directly gave my own son advice for his own safety as he left the nest. We like to think that our older kids are street smart and wise. And really, Pam did have the “safety talk” with Drew, but being the young impetuous men that they are, that was not quite enough. And, in our defense: “It is important to remember that colleges and universities are generally safe places. An 18- to 22-year-old is safer, statistically, on their college campus than they are off campus. Because campuses are safer, it can lead to students often letting down their guard. Therefore, the bottom line is that there is no substitute for personal vigilance when it comes to campus safety” (source). And that’s pretty much what happened. Drew was technically off-campus by a few yards.
So, because personal safety is one of those basic life skills that we should all instill in our kids, here I am, making up for my parental shortcomings (well, on this topic at least) with a recast of expert advice culled from much reading on the matter. Here are some of the most basic safety tips:
Walking and biking:
- Be aware of your surroundings. That means put away the phone, the iPod and the headphones. Stay alert and notice there is any unusual activity or anyone looks suspicious or out of place.
- Walk confidently, with your head up, shoulders back and a self-assured stride. Don’t look around like you are unsure of where you are going.
- Always walk in groups. Use well lit walkways and avoid parks and dark, low-traffic or shortcut paths. It’s often recommended that, if traffic allows, you walk right in the middle of the street.
- If you have to walk alone, know that many campuses offer free “safe” walk programs. Take advantage of those.
- Keep a safe distance from anyone asking for information or directions or
