The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Campus Safety

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Campus Safety: Essential Safety Tips Every College Student Should Know by Guy J. Antinozzi, J.D., and Alan Axelrod, Ph.D. is a very good book full of advice on being safe in a variety of areas.  I liked that the authors addressed personal safety from not only would be muggers and rapists, but also other safe practices that in all reality have a greater chance of harming people, especially those away from home for the first time attending college.

The book is divided into four parts: First Things First, On Campus and Off, The People You Meet, and Getting Help and Helping Yourself.  Each part has a number of chapters that address various aspects of safety while attending collage.  There are sections on dorms, Greek life, the Internet, Drinking and Drugs, Spring Break, roommates and conflict, dating, dangers, health problems, who can help, and a brief spot at the end on defending yourself.

Throughout the book, I found the advice to be practical and straightforward.  I especially liked the theme of taking responsibility for yourself and your own safety.  I also liked the emphasis on people skills and conflict resolution skills.  Many confrontations, including many violent confrontations, can be avoided through the better use of people and conflict resolution skills.   I also liked the fact that the authors talked about awareness and listening to your “gut” when you think something might be wrong. These are so important for personal safety.

The chapter on Defending Your Life was the weakest, and the best advice they have in that chapter was that just about anyone can benefit from taking self-defense classes given by qualified instructors.  However, I cringed when they recommended inserting keys between each of your fingers to jab.  It is much more effective to hold a key between the thumb and first finger and poke, jab, rip and gouge with it in that manner than to try and punch with keys sticking out between your fingers.  The authors are not self-defense instructors, so I won’t hold it against them.  Others teach this less effective way too.

Overall, I thought it was a good book. It’s written in the “Idiot’s Guide” fashion, so you know what to expect with the format.  The advice and suggestions in the book are good, and will undoubtedly help students stay more safe, if, and this is the big if:  Students must read the book and put the suggestions, advice and strategies into use.  And yes, some of it seems to be common sense, but like I always say in my safety workshops and presentations, “Common sense is not always commonly practiced.”

If you are in college, or getting ready to go off to college, read this book and Stay Safe.