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Safety for University Students Project

As a University student himself, Danny loved a good night out. Sadly, it was on a night out that his life was taken. Danny was a sociable and well-loved individual who had never been involved in knife crime. Never even been in a fight. He trusted everyone, and believed everyone was out for a good time like him. We never thought this could happen to him.

 

It is a very common misconception that only those involved with knife crime or criminal activity will be impacted, yet Danny's story proves this to be untrue. Please don't make the mistake of thinking it will never happen to you. Thousands of University students begin this new chapter of their lives every year, with one of the biggest elements being students' social lives. There is very little support or guidance provided to assist this huge change, for many students it will be their first time living in a major city and will therefore lack street awareness. For most it will be the first time living away from parental guidance, meaning many students' will drink more heavily or try new experiences all whilst being solely responsible for their own personal safety for the first time, which many young people are still too naïve and inexperienced to see the importance of. Your personal safety is your responsibility, and you should take it seriously for the sake of your own life and your family and friends' lives too.

 

We have used Danny's story to put together the following safety guidance for other young people to follow in order to enjoy their lives as they deserve to in the safest possible way. It is directed at University students but is appropriate for any young person who regularly enjoys a night out! Please share this guidance with your friends, or as a parent you can use it alongside Danny's story to educate your child on personal safety. We sincerely hope you find this useful, and will take everything on board with Danny's story at the back of your mind so you can enjoy your lives as safely as possible, just like he wanted to. 

Staying safe abroad:

1. Take out travel insurance! Danny did not take out travel insurance, and it cost us thousands of pounds to bring him home. It will cover many risks when travelling, such as medical expenses and a new flight home. Travel insurance can cost as little as £20.
 
2. Safety cards. Before Danny was murdered, both he and his friend Bailey were spiked and had their phones stolen, meaning they became disorientated and split up and could no longer get back in touch. This led to Danny asking passers-by for help, which ultimately led to his murder. Everything is in our phones, and once they are gone we are completely stranded. It is all too common for a phone to get lost, stolen or run out of charge on a night out. This is why we have created the concept of safety cards, on which you can add emergency contact numbers, including friends or family you commonly go out/travel with. In the event of losing access to your phone and becoming split up from your group you can take this card into a nearby establishment and ask them to phone one of your contacts so you can reunite and remain safe.
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3. Research the emergency service number of the country you are travelling to should you need to use it quickly in an emergency. You can add it to your safety card.
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4. Have a physical copy of a map that you can use if you lose access to your phone and need to find your way back to your hotel. 

Toxic masculinity:

Toxic masculinity refers to a collection of extreme beliefs that perpetuate harmful and outdated ideals of what it means to be a 'real man.' It is a root cause to many knife crime incidents. Many men will not want to admit to feeling unsafe and strive to fit into the stereotype of a 'strong man' that does not protecting, whilst personal safety is branded as a 'female issue.' There are many resources available to women, such as personal safety apps, phone lines for walking home safely and the Ask Angela scheme, yet there is a severe lack of resources that are targeted towards men. 70% of knife crime victims in the UK are in fact male, with one of the most common scenarios for these murders occurring on the streets at the hands of a complete stranger. 

Would you feel weak for taking an interest in your own personal safety? Would you make someone else feel weak for taking an interest in their own personal safety? It's time to say NO to these toxic ideals. Personal safety is an issue concerning all human beings, not just women and girls. Never let anyone make you feel weak, and never make anyone else feel week for utilising safety resources and guidance. Protecting your life, and your loved ones from a lifetime of grief is a huge strength. 

Toxic masculinity can also force men into wanting to prove their masculine pride and strength, which may lead them into unnecessary conflicts. On a night out in this day and age, many petty arguments such as a shoulder barge in a club or a spilt drink can end in murder. Many men want to 'prove themselves' to friends by not tolerating disrespect, yet you do not know what someone is carrying in their pocket. Engaging in conflict may seem harmless, but fights in this generation do not stop at fists anymore. Knife carrying is becoming a more and more common occurrence, and no argument with a complete stranger will ever be deep-rooted enough to warrant the end of a life. 

You can avoid conflict by:
1. Avoiding instigating or immediately walk away from any conflicts.
2. Stick to your limits when drinking alcohol if you know it to heighten your aggression.
3. Avoid friendships with anyone whose prerogative is to sought out conflict on a night out. Friends who are involved in conflict on numerous occasions are not only putting themselves in danger, but also those around them. You could be severely injured or even killed if you are regularly being involved in physical altercations, or could become guilty of Joint enterprise,  which is a law doctrine that states an individual can be 'jointly' convicted of a crime. This means you could be reprimanded to the same degree as the perpetrator if you had knowledge a crime would take place and were present at the scene. 
4. Find safer ways of diffusing conflicts, such as phoning emergency services or alerting security. Many people have lost their lives by being inadvertently stabbed when attempting to break up fights. 

Spiking

Spiking is the act of giving someone drugs or alcohol without their consent. Spiking is again only seen as a 'female issue' that is primarily used as a gateway to sexual assault, however it can be used for multiple different reasons on any gender. 
Different motives for spiking may be:
1. Sexual assault.
2. Robbery.
3. Pranks/to cause general harm.
Signs your drink may have been spiked:
1. Foggy appearance.
2. Excessive bubbles.
3. Sinking ice.
4. Change in colour.
How to tell if you or a friend has been spiked:
1. Feeling drunker/more hungover than is proportionate with the amount of alcohol you have consumed.
2. Confusion.
3. Memory loss.
4. Slurred speech.
5. Loss of inhibitions.
6. Nausea and vomiting.
7. Muscle spams or seizures.
8. Loss of consciousness.

What to do if you or a friend has been spiked:

1. Remain with a trusted friend/stay with your friend until they are home safely.
2. Alert bar staff, bouncers, security, etc.
3. Call emergency services if needed, ambulance or the police.
4. Remain in a safe environment surrounded by people. Do not go out onto the street.
5. Do not try and go home alone or with someone you do not know, or let anyone else do the same.
6. Spiking is a serious crime, always report it even if you are home safely the next day. This will prevent it happening in the future to someone who may not get home safely.  
Staying safe from spiking:
1. Remain alert and aware of your surroundings.
2. Do not accept drinks from strangers, if someone offers to buy you a drink then watch the bartender make it.
3. Use a drink cover. 
4. Keep your drink close to you. Do not leave it unattended or in the hands of someone you do not know.
5. Spiking can also be administered in different ways other than via drinks. Perpetrators have been known to use needles, so if you still feel you have been spiked yet have had your eye on your drink all night then follow the above procedures.
6. Another method perpetrators use is spiking the fluid in a vape and offering it to their victims. Do not accept the use of a vape from someone you do not know well or trust. 
 
Friends:
It is very common to meet new people on a night out, especially at University. However, Danny's story shows that not everyone you befriend on a night out can be trusted. Therefore, it is important that you keep yourself as safe as possible when meeting new people in this environment. Furthermore, it is very important to remain with trusted friends at all times when on a night out. 
Guidance regarding friends:
1. Stay in a secure environment surrounded by people and your own trusted friends if talking to someone new.
2. Choose new people you connect with wisely e.g. mutual friends. Consider if the environment you are in is suitable to make new trusted friends. Particularly abroad, many perpetrators will befriend and target tourists for crime. 
3. If you go out together, you go home together. You should travel home with trusted friends, never alone. 
4. It is not safe to go off alone with someone you have just met.
5. Stay with people you trust at all times no matter what. If a friend goes off on their own it is vital you reunite them with the group.
 
Drinking alcohol:
Drinking alcohol can be one of the biggest contributors towards safety impairment on a night out, which is why it must be consumed responsibly and safely. 
How alcohol can impair your safety:
1. Impairs your ability to make rational decisions.
2. Inhibits your ability to assess consequences.
3. Heightens aggression.
4. Causes confusion or loss of consciousness making you vulnerable.
5. Impairs motor skills.
How to drink responsibly:
1. Know your limits and stick to them. Exceeding them stops the night being fun for you and everyone else.
2. Resist peer pressure and do not peer pressure others into endangering themselves by drinking excessively
3. Always keep the risks and consequences in the back of your mind to remember the importance of keeping yourself safe. 
Click on the links below to watch the poignant videos of Danny's friends discussing the impact losing a friend to knife crime has had upon them, whilst offering advice to other young people to take on board when going out.

We are a newly registered charity dedicated to tackling knife crime.

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