Seniors are finalizing their college decisions, as many colleges have admitted next year’s students.

College violence has been much more emphasized in the news lately, and many incoming students fear it more than ever.

Domestic violence is a significant concern within a college environment. One in every five students report that they have been abused by a significant other, and one in every three students admitted to committing assault against their significant other.

College students are far more targeted for assault. College-aged men are 78% more likely to be assaulted than men who are not within the college-age range. College-aged women are three times more likely to be assaulted than women who are not within the same age range. Along with this, about 23.1% of LGBTQ members have been sexually assaulted.

Only around 20% of female survivors seek help from victim agencies. Colleges hope to increase the number of officers and hope to make students feel more comfortable approaching help in case an event were to occur.

Colleges are now implementing prevention and awareness programs for faculty and students. These programs include statements about any form of assault, in the hope that it will lower the risk of a student being assaulted within the college grounds. The program creators also implemented a program where bystander actions will be addressed.

Colleges are also implementing ways to help prevent any form of assault. Escort systems are a growing need within colleges, where a student can call to be picked up from any location within the campus if they ever feel panicked, or threatened in any manner.

Self-defense classes are also growing in popularity within colleges, for students to learn better ways to protect themselves.

Other individual ideas that could help students feel more comfortable on campus can include carrying pepper spray, keeping a location shared with someone, and having someone to contact right away in case they feel uncomfortable.

Recently, students have feared the growth of college violence and implementing these ideas to prevent any form of assault can help make campuses safer areas. Students try their best to maintain safety for themselves, but that is simply not enough. Colleges should do better at protecting their students from violence on campus grounds.