Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Perceptions of Campus Safety Policies: Contrasting the Views of Students with Faculty and Staff

  • Published:
American Journal of Criminal Justice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A series of recommendations to colleges and universities concerning safety, security, and incident response policies emerged in the aftermath of several high-profile tragic events on campuses. Although these appear as “common sense” solutions to the perceived risks, little is known about the level of support the normative recommendations receive from the very people they are intended to protect. This study utilizes survey data from a Midwestern university to examine the level of support expressed by students, faculty, and staff for commonly recommended campus safety policies and procedures. Multivariate models are used to compare the viability of explaining levels of support through the lenses of respondent demographics and experiences, fear of crime, and perceptions of campus public safety. Although attitudes significantly differed, students were substantively quite similar to faculty and staff. However, the factors that were hypothesized to influence support for campus safety initiatives (i.e., prior victimization, fear of crime, protective measures, perception of disorder, race, sex, and age) were not consistently predictive. This suggests that campus policymakers and state legislatures may be well served to consider the opinions of campus community members before imposing what may be unpopular policies that have questionable efficacy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. While beyond the scope of this paper, it bears noting the relationship between fear of crime and race have sometimes been found to be influenced by other demographic attributes, such as age and gender, in ways scholars still do not fully understand (see Pain, 2001).

  2. The participating university generally offers courses Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday, thus sampling from two consecutive days provided sampling opportunities for courses in both scheduling blocks.

  3. Although a principle components factor analysis indicated that the items represented a single factor in each of the three themes, and Cronbach’s alphas were acceptable, all nine of the dependent variable items had non-normal distributions and were not transformable. Thus it was not possible to combine them to create composite scores for each of the three dependent variable themes for analysis using OLS regression. However, the recoding scheme allows for analysis using ordered logistic regression, which is suitable for non-normal dependent variables.

  4. A principle components factor analysis indicated that the items utilized to measure Fear of crime, Protective measures, Perceptions of disorder, and Satisfaction with the public safety department represented a single factor in each of the three constructs.

References

  • Arrigo, B. A., & Acheson, A. (2016). Concealed carry bans and the American college campus: A law, social sciences, and policy perspective. Contemporary Justice Review, 19(1), 120–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barberet, R., & Fisher, B. S. (2009). Can security beget insecurity? Security and crime prevention awareness and fear of burglary among university students in the east midlands. Security Journal, 22(1), 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barberet, R., Fisher, B. S., & Taylor, H. (2004). University student safety in the east midlands. London: Home Office.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, K., & Klaus, P. (2005). Violent victimization of college students, 1995–2002. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumer, T. L. (1985). Testing a general model of fear of crime: Data from a national sample. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 22(3), 239–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, K., Kraft, J., & Grubb, D. (2012). University faculty attitudes toward guns on campus. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 23(3), 336–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, D. (1980). The manners and customs of the police. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blobaum, A., & Hunecke, M. (2005). Perceived danger in urban public space: The impacts of physical features and personal factors. Environment and Behavior, 37(4), 465–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brady, K. P., Balmer, S., & Phenix, D. (2007). School-police partnership effectiveness in urban schools: An analysis of New York City’s impact schools initiative. Education & Urban Society, 39(4), 455–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bromley, M. L. (1992). Campus and community crime rate comparison: A statewide study. Journal of Security Administration, 15(2), 49–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campus Security Enhancement Act of 2008. (2008). 110 ILCS 12/1.

  • Campus Security Task Force. (2008). State of Illinois Campus Security Task Force Report to the Governor. Retrieved from www.ibhe.org/CampusSafety/materials/CSTFReport.pdf.

  • Chancellor’s Task Force on Critical Incident Management (2007). SUNY System. Albany: State University of New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, P. P., Bonham Jr., G., & Reddington, F. P. (2016). Community college faculty: Attitudes toward guns on campus. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(8), 706–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, G. K. (2008). Connecting the dots: Lessons from the Virginia Tech shootings. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 40(1), 8–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desilver, D. (2014). The politics of American generations: How age affects attitudes and voting behavior. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/09/the-politics-of-american-generations-how-age-affects-attitudes-and-voting-behavior/.

  • Dobbs, R. R., Waid, C. A., & Shelley, T. O. (2009). Explaining fear of crime as fear of rape among college females: An examination of multiple campuses in the United States. International Journal of Social Inquiry, 2(2), 105–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drysdale, D. A., Modzeleski, W., & Simons, A. B. (2010). Campus attacks: Targeted violence affecting institutions of higher education. Washington, DC: U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, S. D., Shoemaker, M. A., & Griego, A. W. (2016). Students’ opinions about concealed firearms on university campuses. Politics, Bureaucracy, and Justice, 5, 16–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, K. M., & Mindel, C. H. (2007). Modeling fear of crime in Dallas neighborhoods: A test of social capital theory. Crime & Delinquency, 53(2), 322–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, K. F. (1995). Fear of crime: Interpreting victimization risk. Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B. S. (1995). Crime and fear on campus. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 539(1), 85–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B. S., & Sloan, J. J. (2003). Unraveling the fear of victimization among college women: Is the “shadow of sexual assault hypothesis” supported? Justice Quarterly, 20(3), 633–659.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B. S., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, J. A., & Savage, J. (2009). Mass murder goes to college: An examination of changes on college campuses following Virginia Tech. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(10), 1465–1485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, K. A., Nobles, M. R., & Piquero, A. R. (2009). Gender, crime victimization and fear of crime. Security Journal, 22(1), 24–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, J. (1979). Victimization and the fear of crime. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 16(1), 80–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, J., & Laub, J. (1978). The fear of crime: Broadening our perspective. Victimology, 3(3–4), 242–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, C. L., Zhao, J., Lovrich, N. P., & Gaffney, M. J. (2002). Social integration, individual perceptions of collective efficacy, and fear of crime in three cities. Justice Quarterly, 19(3), 537–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidycz, C. A., Coble, C. N., Latham, L., & Layman, M. J. (1993). Sexual assault experiences in adulthood and prior victimization experiences: A prospective analysis. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 17(2), 151–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gubernatorial Task Force for University Campus Safety. (2007). Report on findings and recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/campusSecurity/docs/finalReport052407.pdf.

  • Hall, M. E., Williams, R. D., & Hunt, B. (2015). Assessment of attitudes regarding tobacco-free campus policy and secondhand smoke exposure among college students, faculty, and staff. American Journal of Health Education, 46(1), 48–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hard, S. F., Conway, J. M., & Moran, A. C. (2006). Faculty and college student beliefs about the frequency of student academic misconduct. The Journal of Higher Education, 77(6), 1058–1080.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higher Education Amendments Act of 1998 (1998). Pub. L. No. 105–244.

  • Hindelang, M. J., Gottfredson, M. R., & Garofalo, J. (1978). Victims of personal crime. Cambridge: Ballinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J., & Gray, E. (2010). Functional fear and public insecurities about crime. British Journal of Criminology, 50(1), 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janosik, S. M. (2001). The impact of the campus crime awareness act of 1998 on student decision-making. NASPA Journal about Women in Higher Education, 38(3), 348–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (1990). 20 U.S.C. §1092 (f).

  • Jennings, W. G., Gover, A. R., & Pudrzynska, D. (2007). Are institutions of higher learning safe? A descriptive study of campus safety issues and self-reported campus victimization among male and female college students. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 18(2), 191–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, A. E. (2001). College student cheating: The role of motivation, perceived norms, attitudes, and knowledge of institutional policy. Ethics & Behavior, 11(3), 233–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaminski, R. J., Koons-Witt, B. A., Thompson, N. S., & Weiss, D. (2010). The impacts of the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shootings on fear of crime on campus. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(1), 88–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kealy, M. J., & Rockel, M. L. (1987). Student perceptions of college quality: The influence of college recruitment policies. The Journal of Higher Education, 58(6), 683–703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelling, G. L., Pate, T., Dieckman, D., & Brown, C. E. (1974). The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: A technical report. Washington, DC: Police Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, B. T., & Torres, A. (2006). Campus safety: Perceptions and experiences of women students. Journal of College Student Development, 47(1), 20–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiley, J. (2014). In search of libertarians. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/25/in-search-of-libertarians/.

  • King, R. (2009). Women's fear of crime on university campuses: New directions & quest. Security Journal, 22(1), 87–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohm, S. A. (2009). Spatial dimensions of fear in a high-crime community: Fear of crime or fear of disorder. Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 51(1), 1–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J., Gover, A. R., & Dahod, S. (2009). Fear of violent crime among men and women on campus: The impact of perceived risk and fear of sexual assault. Violence and Victims, 24(2), 172–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lauritsen, J. L., & Davis-QUinet, K. F. (1995). Repeat victimization among adolescents and young adults. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 11(2), 143–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leavitt, M. O., Spelling, M., & Gonzales, A. R. (2007). Report to the president on issues raised by the Virginia Tech tragedy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Education, and Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leavy, R. L., & Dunlosky, J. T. (1989). Undergraduate student and faculty perceptions of problem drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 50(2), 101–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M. R., & DeHart, E. (2007). The influence of a serial killer on changes in fear of crime and the use of protective measures: A survey-based case study of baton rouge. Deviant Behavior, 28(1), 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luxenburg, J., Cullen, F. T., Langworthy, R. H., & Kopache, R. (1994). Firearms and Fido: Ownership of injurious means of protection. Journal of Criminal Justice, 22(2), 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, B. L., Roberts, K. J., Donnelly, J. W., & Rutledge, I. N. (2011). College student perceptions on campus alcohol policies and consumption patterns. Journal of Drug Education, 41(4), 345–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrea, R., Shyy, T. K., Western, J., & Stimson, R. J. (2005). Fear of crime in Brisbane: Individual, social and neighbourhood factors in perspective. Journal of Sociology, 41(1), 7–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGarrelI, E. F., Giacomazzi, A. L., & Thurman, Q. C. (1997). Neighborhood disorder, integration, and the fear of crime. Justice Quarterly, 14(3), 479–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melde, C., Esbensen, F. A., & Taylor, T. J. (2009). ‘may piece be with you’: A typological examination of the fear and victimization hypothesis of adolescent weapon carrying. Justice Quarterly, 26(2), 348–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Midwestern Higher Education Compact (2008). The ripple effect of Virginia Tech: Assessing a nationwide impact on campus safety and security policy and practice. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED502232.pdf.

  • Miller, J. L., & Pan, M. J. (1987). Student perceptions of campus police: The effects of personal characteristics and police contacts. American Journal of Police, 6(2), 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyer, J. W. (2016). New kind of trigger warning at Texas University struggling with campus-carry law. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/25/new-kind-of-trigger-warning-at-texas-university-struggling-with-campus-carry-law-do-not-confront-a-student/.

  • Nagourney, A., & Turkewitz, J. (2015). As campus fears rise, so do efforts to enact school gun laws. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/us/as-campus-fears-rise-so-do-efforts-to-enact-school-gun-laws.html?_r=0.

  • Nasar, J., Hecht, P., & Wener, R. (2007). Call if you have trouble’: Mobile phones and safety among college students. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 31(4), 863–873.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Conference of State Legislatures. (2016). Guns on campus: Overview. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/guns-on-campus-overview.aspx.

  • Nofzinger, S., & Williams, L. S. (2005). Perceptions of police and safety in a small town. Police Quarterly, 8(2), 248–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Northern Illinois University (n.d.). Report of the February 14, 2008 shootings at Northern Illinois University. Dekalb: Northern Illinois University.

  • Oster-Aaland, L. K., & Neighbors, C. (2007). The impact of a tailgating policy on students' drinking behavior and perceptions. Journal of American College Health, 56(3), 281–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pain, R. H. (1997). Social geographies of women’s fear of crime. Transactions of the British Institute of Geographers, 22(2), 231–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pain, R. (2001). Gender, race, age and fear in the city. Urban Studies, 38(5/6), 899–913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patten, R., Thomas, M. O., & Wada, J. C. (2013). Packing heat: Attitudes regarding concealed weapons on college campuses. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(4), 551–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peak, K. J., Barthe, E. P., & Garcia, A. (2008). Campus policing in America: A twenty-year perspective. Police Quarterly, 11(2), 239–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polensky, D. W. (2002). Creating and maintaining security on campus. Facilities Manager, 18(2), 14–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, J. H., Thompson, A., Khubchandani, J., Dake, J., Payton, E., & Teeple, K. (2014). University presidents’ perceptions and practice regarding the carrying of concealed handguns on college campuses. Journal of American College Health, 62(7), 461–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rader, N. E. (2004). The threat of victimization: A theoretical reconceptualization of fear of crime. Sociological Spectrum, 24(6), 689–704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rader, N. E., May, D. C., & Goodrum, S. (2007). An empirical assessment of the “threat of victimization:” considering fear of crime, perceived risk, avoidance, and defensive behaviors. Sociological Spectrum, 27(5), 475–505.

  • Rader, N. E., Cossman, J. S., & Allison, M. (2009). Considering the gendered nature of constrained behavior practices among male and female college students. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 25(3), 282–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randazzo, M. R., & Plummer, E. (2009). Implementing behavioral threat assessment on campus: A Virginia Tech demonstration project. Blacksburg: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reese, B. (2009). Determinants of the fear of crime: The combined effects of country-level crime intensity and individual-level victimization experience. International Journal of Sociology, 39(1), 62–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Report of the Review Panel (2007). Mass shootings at Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://cdm16064.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p266901coll4/id/904.

  • Salmi, S., Gronroos, M., & Keskinen, E. (2004). The role of police visibility in fear of crime in Finland. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 27(4), 573–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, J. A., Heiple, E., Giblin, M., & Burruss, G. W. (2010). Critical incident preparedness and response on post-secondary campuses. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(3), 311–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, J. A., Lee, C., Burruss, G. W., & Giblin, M. (2016). College student perceptions of campus safety initiatives. Criminal Justice Policy Review. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0887403416631804.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwaner, S. L., Furr, L. A., Negrey, C. L., & Seger, R. E. (1999). Who wants a gun licence? Journal of Criminal Justice, 27(1), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. G. (1990). Disorder and decline: Crime and the spiral of decay in American cities. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. G. (1995). Crime and racial fears of white Americans. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 539(1), 59–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. G., & Maxfield, M. G. (1981). Coping with crime: Individual and neighborhood differences. Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, J. J. (1992). The modern campus police: An analysis of their evolution, structure, and function. American Journal of Police, 11(2), 85–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. A., & Uchida, C. D. (1988). The social organization of self-help: A study of defensive weapon ownership. American Sociological Review, 53(1), 94–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stretesky, P. B., & Hogan, M. J. (2001). Columbine and student perceptions of safety: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of Criminal Justice, 29(5), 429–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-542 (1990). Amended by Pub. L. No. 102–26 § 10(e) (1991); 20 U.S.C. 1092(f).

  • Thakkar, M., & Weisfeld-Spolter, S. (2012). A qualitative analysis of college students' perceptions of academic integrity on campus. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 16(S1), 81–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, A., Price, J. H., Dake, J. A., & Teeple, K. (2013a). Faculty perceptions and practices regarding carrying concealed handguns on university campuses. Journal of Community Health, 38(2), 366–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, A., Price, J. H., Dake, J. A., Teeple, K., Bassler, S., Khubchandani, J., et al. (2013b). Student perceptions and practices regarding carrying concealed handguns on university campuses. Journal of American College Health, 61(5), 243–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (2013). 34 CFR 668.46.

  • Warr, M. (2000). Fear of crime in the United States: Avenues for research and policy. In D. Duffee (Ed.), Criminal justice 2000, volume four: Measurement and analysis of crime and justice (pp. 451–489). Washington, DC: Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wermund, B. (2015). Rice to opt out of campus carry. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.chron.com/local/education/campus-chronicles/article/Rice-to-opt-out-of-campus-carry-6664848.php?cmpid=twitter-mobile.

  • Wilcox, P., Jordan, C. E., & Pritchard, A. J. (2007). A multidimensional examination of campus safety: Victimization, perceptions of danger, worry about crime, and precautionary behavior among college women in the post-Clery era. Crime & Delinquency, 53(2), 219–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winkel, F. W. (1986). Reducing fear of crime through police visibility: A field experiment. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 1(4), 381–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wollnough, A. D. (2009). Fear of crime on campus: Gender differences in use of self-protective behaviours at an urban university. Security Journal, 22(1), 40–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyant, B. R. (2008). Multilevel impacts of perceived incivilities and perceptions of crime risk on fear of crime: Isolating endogenous impacts. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(1), 39–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1000 Faner Drive, Mail Code 4504, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

    Michael J. Kyle, Joseph A. Schafer & Matthew J. Giblin

  2. Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    George W. Burruss

Authors
  1. Michael J. Kyle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joseph A. Schafer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. George W. Burruss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Matthew J. Giblin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael J. Kyle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kyle, M.J., Schafer, J.A., Burruss, G.W. et al. Perceptions of Campus Safety Policies: Contrasting the Views of Students with Faculty and Staff. Am J Crim Just 42, 644–667 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9379-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9379-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation