Parents Have a Say for Safety at College by Benedictine University blogger Karly

It is completely understandable for parents to be concerned about their children’s safety when it comes to picking the right college for them. Ever since they sent them off to school, parents have had their watchful eye on their kids. From kindergarten to senior year of high school, the safety of their kids has been in their hands. But when the time comes for their kids to leave the city, state, or even country, it is extremely important for a parent to feel comfortable sending their babies to a safe place to live. There are many ways for parents to actively support their children and their decision for college when they are concerned with safety issues. Here are a few…

1. Visit the College with your Child: If the school is close enough to make a trip to, pack your bags and head over to check out how safe the campus is. It is one thing for your child to tell you about the campus they are going to be living on, but when a parent is actually there in person to get a feel for the environment it changes everything completely. Just walking around the campus can give anyone a feel of how safe it can or cannot be on a day-to-day basis.

2. Get Involved On a Safety Board/ State One: If your child is really interested in going to a certain school and you know that it might not be the safest school, maybe it is time to change that and do something about it. If the school has some sort of safety board that you can join; sign up! There is always room to make a difference to keep a school safe from sexual assaults and other kinds of dangerous behavior. If for some reason the college your child really wants to go to does not have any kind of safety board or group to join, start one! I am sure that if a school has enough trouble going on that more than a few parents would love to join a cause to help prevent events from occurring.

3. Let your Kid know You Care: If you are unfortunately located too far away from the school that your child is going to there are still some ways that you as a parent can support your child's choice of school. Let them know that you are there for them. Give them a call or text every once in a while to let them know that no matter what the situation is you will be there for them to talk to at anytime. Sometimes the most important thing to have is an open ear and an open heart for someone that is suffering.