Karen is freshman in college. She is very trusting and likes to meet new people. She has heard all the stories about college life and now she is finally here. She is a well disciplined student, and does not intend to let to the social life interfere with her studies. All of the students know each other personally and she is no different.



They do not fully understand the need for all the extra security precautions. Nevertheless; they act like they are following the rules to keep campus security off their backs. They pretend to double check hall doors and lock their rooms when campus security is making their rounds. In reality, they just wanted to have fun and could care less about security.

One night Karen had been out late with her friends at a party. She came back to the campus and was about to retire for the night. Her friends dropped her and another girl off about a block from their dorm. It was a beautiful night out and they decided to walk the rest of the way to clear their heads.

They were not aware that someone was watching them. It was a wanderer from the nearby rail yard. Karen and her friend continued to walk not really worrying about where they were or who might be watching. They were busy chatting and discussing the activities of the next day.

The man watching them continued to follow them. Karen and her friend parted company at her friends dorm. Karens dorm was on the next block, so she continued to walk and the wanderer continued to follow. When she was about to make her final turn to her dorm, the man jumped from the darkness.

He knocked her to the ground and pulled out a knife. She was very frightened. The man said if you scream, I will kill you. Do as I say and you will not be harmed. She said what are you going to do? He said shut up and kept walking. After she had walked a few yards, the friend that she had just dropped off called her name. She had forgot to ask Karen something.

The friends voice startled the attacker. He turned around and Karen broke free. She screamed and ran as fast as she could toward her friend. The attacker ran in the opposite direction. Karen was traumatized. She reported the incident to the police. The man was never caught. Karen eventually left the school. She feared that the attacker would return.

You should always pay attention to your surroundings no matter where go. Even in familiar territory, you may face criminal attack. Walking with a cell phone in your ear or chatting with friends can distract you. Those who are distracted look like good victims to criminals. They may follow you for some distance before deciding to attack.

If you show them that you are aware, they will move on to another target. Continually scan your area. Move away from suspicious activity and people. Report suspicious activity to the authorities. Be prepared to defend yourself in all cases.