<p>It is not a victim’s fault she/he was attacked. She didn’t ask for an assault! But…unfortunatly, the two women who were attacked did put themselves in harm’s way despite repeated warnings about not walking alone after dark. All cities hold danger for women alone. Wasn’t it their responsibility to be careful?<br>
It is not anyone’s intention to make the victim of crime feel worse, but this forum is open to all students and parents who are also trying to learn how to prevent this sort of crime from happening to them. We shouldn’t stifle such a conversation. </p>
<p>For those who have kids going off to college anywhere (I have a friend whose daughter was hounded by a stalker in tiny Grinnell, Iowa, and another whose tall son was mugged on the campus of UPenn) the importance of taking responsibility for being out in the big, sometimes bad world is only common sense. </p>
<p>I agree that schools need to maintain safer streets, and easy and frequent shuttles from off-campus housing to campus so kids will use safe transportation late at night. USC needs to do more to keep students safe. But I also think we must look carefully at the heavy drinking involved in the three incidents (as have been reported) and consider the part it likely played in each student taking a dangerous risk.</p>