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Amidst the fun and frenzy of the spring semester at Florida State University, an unsettling sense of fear has crept its way into the student body — especially among its female students. Whispers and warnings about students getting robbed, assaulted, or followed have been circling through campus, even making their way to worried parents back home.
All around campus, solo female students are heading home before sundown, gripping their pepper sprays in fear, or even avoiding their daily runs around Tallahassee. In recent years, I have also noticed news channels being flooded with countless cases of female students facing violence on their campuses or in their college towns.
This troubling reality has led me to question the root causes of this crisis and, more importantly, what can be done to create real change.
College campuses are without a doubt environments always teetering on the edge of potential chaos. The combination of adolescents and young adults navigating newly gained independence, mixed with easily accessible amounts of alcohol, substances, and peer influence, is undeniably a recipe for disaster.
However, many instances of violence on college campuses don’t involve alcohol, partying, or even fellow students. Recent tragedies, like the case of Laken Riley and the Idaho college murders, have only heightened fear among female students, creating the unsettling feeling that there is truly no safe space for them at their universities.
So, is this phenomenon of women facing disproportionate amounts of violence on their college campuses simply an issue rooted in party culture, or is it a broader societal issue that normalizes violence against women?
The answer to this question is complex in nature, with likely no definitive answer. What is true, however, is the fact that 1 in 4 female students completing their undergraduate education will experience some form of physical or sexual violence during their college years.
This truth is not only a devastating shame but also an injustice. Recent events here at FSU only further support the notion that something must change and that women’s safety on college campuses should be a priority for everyone, not just those who are forced to bear the brunt of its consequences.
Though the issue of violence against women on college campuses persists, the efforts of countless trailblazing women who are fighting for change and working to ensure safe college experiences for all should not be overlooked. Their dedication to creating a safer environment must be and should be recognized, as it lays the foundation for meaningful change.
Colleges, especially our own, are home to some of the brightest and most inspiring women, and I find it deeply unfair that they must navigate campus in fear. For so many, attending college is a source of great pride, and female students should be able to walk with confidence, and not shrink themselves out of fear.
To my fellow female students, I feel a deep sense of shame that fear has become a daily occurrence for so many of us, but I also urge you to prioritize your safety. While caution is important, please do not let fear consume you.
College should be one of the greatest experiences of your life — don’t let it be something stolen from you. You deserve to move through these years with confidence, unburdened by fear. This campus is yours, after all — let that be known, and let it be felt.
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