Parent to parent: Safety on our minds

By John Corrigan

The morning headlines were alarming, to say the least: "UC Davis student arrested after explosives found on campus."

Oh no. What now? And what, if anything, can a parent do?

No one was injured in last month's incident, fortunately, and university police saidthat the freshman accused of having explosives in his dorm room, who was immediately taken into police custody, did not appear to intend to "blow anything up or hurt anyone."

That was a relief, considering the tragic events we've seen at a handful of college campuses and schools in recent years. But did this one give us a scare? Without a doubt.

Several of you wrote to Aggie Family Pack, expressing your concerns about the episode and wondering what the university would be doing about it. (According to disciplinary policy, a student facing such charges would immediately be suspended and not be allowed back on campus pending university and judicial proceedings.)

And I'm sure many of you, like me, called your daughters and sons to make sure they were OK -- or if you were lucky, maybe you were the one to get the call.

In any event, the unfortunate truth is that we can't prevent bad things from happening. College campuses are generally among the safest places for young people to be. Still, violent tragedy can strike anywhere -- at the mall, the workplace and even in our own homes.

Despite our feeling of helplessness in these times, there are some things we can do that just might give our students an extra margin of safety. Here are a few:

Let's encourage our kids to stand tall and speak up when they see questionable activities.

We can thank a smart young person for sounding the alarm about the presence of explosive materials last month. Campus police and resident advisers can't be everywhere; they need to rely on the students and employees to report potential problems.

Let's be sure our elected officials and the University of California Board of Regents are aware of the high priority we place on campus safety.

Budget shortfalls can force hard decisions, and cuts in programs and services must sometimes be made. But as parents, I think we have an interest in ensuring that safety programs continue to get adequate funding.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings a year ago, in which a gunman killed 32 before taking his own life, UC president Robert Dynes created a task force to develop rapid response plans for campus violence and to beef up funding for student mental health.

The report has now worked its way up to the UC Board of Regents. You might want to give it a read. And, if you'd like, you can let the regents know what you think about the task force's proposals, or comment more generally about safety issues.

Familiarize yourself with the university's own safety programs.

UC Davis has a new Web page dedicated to campus safety and emergency issues. There's a wealth of information here and through various links from the site. For example, did you know that safety escort services are available for students from 6 p.m. to midnight, both on campus and in the immediate vicinity? Or that self-defense classes are available?

As a parent, I found the most useful link on the site to be Aggie Family Pack's Safety/Security page. This page provides contact information for law enforcement and emergency service agencies for both the university and the city of Davis, and also includes links to campus crime statistics.

And during an emergency, information will be posted on the main campus Web site.

Talk to your student about safety.

You know that list of things we tell our kids when they go away to school? Study hard. Get enough sleep. Don't party too much. I guess we have to add one more item to the list: Stay safe, and keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.

As idyllic as college life may sometimes seem, students need to be aware that there is a potential for violent incidents on campus, just as there is anywhere else. As individuals, they can better prepare themselves by knowing what to do in an emergency, and by acquainting themselves with the basics of self-defense.

Have a communications plan.

Keep in mind that regional phone networks can be overwhelmed or damaged in an emergency, so it's a good idea to make arrangements with a family member or close friend outside the area whom your student can call or e-mail to relay a message to you. Write down those numbers and give them to your student, or make sure they're in his or her phone and e-mail directories.

Finally, they should keep in mind that news travels faster than ever these days. If UC Davis makes headlines for any sort of disaster, man-made or natural -- even a near disaster -- remind your student to call back home as soon as it's safe to do so. We parents tend to worry.