<p>I heard a lot about the safety of UD and how it's realy bad. That a lot of girls get raped and that jocks rob students. Then there have been a lot of shootings in the surrounding area. Also, the school is really strict about breaking any rules, like drinking. Is any of it true?</p>
<p>I'm a freshman female at UD, and I'd have to say that those reports are pretty exaggerated. There have been a couple of reported rapes this year, but definitely not lots. I really don't know anything about any shootings. There may have been some in the surrounding area that I'm not aware of, but really, it's not something I think about all that often. UD can also be very strict about its alcohol policy (three strikes and you're out), but plenty of people drink anyway and don't get caught. </p>
<p>That being said, I don't think UD is really any "less safe" than any other college out there. No matter what school you go to, there are going to be people without morals and people who go out of their way to break the rules. Aside from when the rapes first started going on, I never felt unsafe at UD. Everybody knows to walk in groups, there are blue lights all over campus, and a lot of the girls (and guys too, perhaps) carry pepper spray or something similar with them just to be safe.</p>
<p>"UD can also be very strict about its alcohol policy (three strikes and you're out), but plenty of people drink anyway and don't get caught."</p>
<p>I've also heard that a lot of people get caught drinking and that a lot of parties get broken up by the cops or the campus police.</p>
<p>UD is safe as long as you use common sense. That means do not walk by yourself late at night. We have public safety officers who patrol the campus 24/7, and the federal government named UD a model safety campus. Also, there is an escort service that students can call if they feel uncomfortable walking by themselves.</p>
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10-30-2006, 10:59 AM #1<br>
nysgoal5
New Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Aug 2006
Threads:
Posts: 18 Needing info... </p>
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<p>This is one of the colleges my child was thinking of applying to but with the recent postings of rapes, assaults and robberies around the campus involving UDEL students, I am very wary about the school. </p>
<p>Can someone please offer me more insight into what the campus/town is like?
Also, can anyone give info on how the administration is addressing this most important issue with its students.
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<p>Is this your mom? She wouldn't listen to anyone who said the area was safe and it sounds like you don't want to either. There was one offcampus rape. There was a false accusation. There haven't been any shootings on campus or in the immediate area. There isn't any really safe place anywhere. I have 3 friends at Vermont and their parents thought that was a totally safe place...until a girl got killed. You have to be aware everywhere you go and don't put yourself in dangerous situations no matter where you live or go to school.</p>
<p>"I've also heard that a lot of people get caught drinking and that a lot of parties get broken up by the cops or the campus police."</p>
<p>I wouldn't say a LOT. Some do. But some do no matter what college you go to. UD is no worse than any other school out there. No matter what school the student attends, tt's up to him to be responsible and pro-active about his safety. If you go out walking by yourself at 3 AM on a weekend, yeah, maybe you'll have some trouble. But again, you'd have this trouble no matter where you go. Common sense helps.</p>
<p>Not too many parties get broken up. I go out at least friday and saturday every weekend and I have seen 3 get broken up since the beginning of the year. No one gets in trouble, they just sit in front with flashing lights.</p>
<p>Though they are kind of strict w/ public intoxication. Be careful, they only do something if you are very noticably drunk. UD police are MUCH more strict on this than Newark.</p>
<p>Above all use COMMON SENSE. Anyone here will tell you that. Would you stumble past a cop at home? Stand on the sidewalk in front of a party w/ a beer in your hand? Walk home alone intoxicated at 3am? No! So why do it here?</p>
<p>I've lived around UD my whole life and the Newark area is a really great area. The bad stuff has just come about recently probably because alot of people from Wilmington are moving south to Bear, New Castle, Middletown, and Newark. I would not be concerned there.</p>
<p>I wanted to bump this thread in order to hear how students are feeling this year in regards to safety at UDel. I've read from other review sites that the campus is very unsafe and there are a lot of muggings/rapes/assaults on college students. Any word if UDel has made attempts to increase security? How do current students feel about their personal safety?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I'm pretty confused about this reputation of danger. I haven't had any problems and when there is a problem with a robbery or something, the campus police are all over it. Like any other city, there are some bad areas in Newark, but the campus area is pretty safe unless you're stupid enough to be walking by yourself drunk at 3am. There were some jerks that stole some purses in trabant, but from my friends at other schools, it seems much safer here.</p>
<p>Here's the link for the Clery Disclosure information for UDel crimes.</p>
<p>Crime</a> Statistics</p>
<p>It won't tell you everything, but it's pretty revealing in a good way, especially noting that the relatively low numbers are not a function of lack of trying, it would seem.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, WhistlePig. I'm a little confused though, because I know a female student was raped and murdered in her off campus apartment in 2005 and that doesn't seem to be listed in those stats.</p>
<p>My other daughter is in Philly, which of course is a city you have to be very careful in. But her school's campus security is excellent. A lot of money has been invested to improve security there in the last few years. I wondered in light of the 2005 incident at UDel if efforts had truly been made to increase student safety. I'm also interested in how the students feel about personal safety on campus ... thank you for your comments, Popsicle.</p>
<p>The crime stats are for on campus incidents. This doesn't include things off campus which would probably be the bulk of the crime. So I don't think this gives you the full picture. My daughter went to UD last year and never had any issues with safety, but also knew not to travel alone late at night. The murder from 2005 was a horrible tragedy that occurred off-campus and I think the school did step up and really show concern for safety both on campus and in the town.</p>
<p>Thanks, billmayo, that makes me feel a bit better. The chart in that link has a column that does include "non- campus building and property", but you're right, maybe it was too far off campus for that 2005 crime to be recorded.</p>
<p>This needs to be a serious issue everywhere, and it sounds like UDel is working to treat it as such.</p>
<p>Still, Newark and UD isn't close to Temple and Philly. The good news about smaller town/suburban college communities like UDel is that despite the numbers, those who are not part of the community are often quite recognizable. The bad news is that many crimes, and notably most rapes and sexual assaults are commited by the girl next door, not some grizzly unknown monster from West Philly.</p>
<p>Yes, Whistle Pig, true except in the 2005 case at UDel it was a "grizzly, unknown monster" who committed that crime, not the boy next door. But it's true the majority of cases according to the chart in your link appear to be "date rapes". I thank you all for your input and I think you're right, as long as the students are careful, as they would need to be in any city, hopefully they will be fine. My older daughter goes to UPenn in Philly, and she knows not to walk alone at night etc. Campus security is very tight at UPenn, and I was hoping UDel was making similar efforts.</p>
<p>I have a guy cousin at UPenn and it's an awesome place. But he's a big strong athletic guy and even he says it's a war zone right outside the campus there and that while security is awesome, even he doesn't go much beyond the school zone. There really isn't a whole lot of comparison between urban Philly and miniurban Newark. My dad totally interrogated the campus police rep when we went to Delaware Days. I think that being smart in your environment is the key to safety no matter where you go to school. There are people everywhere looking to take advantage of situations.</p>
<p>I have 2 final thoughts of this.</p>
<p>1.Just my uninformed observation, but if I were playing the odds, I'd pick the Hens over the Penns for safety purposes. But of course this is not about generalizations. It's about MY daughter. And yours. </p>
<ol>
<li>Wherever they may be, popsicle has offered wise counsel of how they SHOULD care for themselves.</li>
</ol>
<p>Oh, and one more. popsicle's dad is a good one. ;)</p>
<p>"As a father, would you have any qualms about letting your daughter attend the University of Delaware?"</p>
<p>Uh, no.</p>
<p>While I may have major issues in allowing her to go to the university, it's got nothing to do with UDel! :eek: </p>
<p>Undoubtedly, when one gets 15K kids within 5 or 10 sq. blocks, the bozo-no-no factor can become monumentally high. That's where God and the power of prayer comes into the picture. :confused:</p>