<p>Hi there. I stumbled by this thread and found it interesting because we hear many of the same concerns from prospective students at University of Maryland-College Park.</p>
<p>This year alone there have been 5-6 muggings, including one on our campus “quad”. </p>
<p>Maryland is a suburban school but less than 10 miles from NE Washington, DC (not the best quadrant of the city) and along the green metrorail line. </p>
<p>I think an earlier poster nailed it. Muggings are more common in urban areas or areas adjacent to urban zones. People get mugged in bad areas, and in “nice” areas. Yesterday, my friend was robbed in Dupont Circle, one of D.C.'s ritziest and most well-traveled neighborhoods. Over the summer, I was mugged in the most touristy part of Baltimore. My mom had her purse stolen on the El in downtown Chicago.</p>
<p>Muggings may not be uncommon, but tragedies are few and far between when it comes to students living in urban areas. I think it’s more dangerous to commute via car to a suburban uni than live in Hyde Park as a UofC student, most likely. And quite frankly, I take my chances every day when I step out of the front door of my house, and I’d take my chances everywhere from D.C. to Baltimore to Chicago to Lima rather than spend my life in a cornfield. But that’s just me.</p>
<p>So rather than try to say “oh, it’s not that bad” I think acknowledging that it’s possible your child may get mugged once in four years if he/she is an adventurous spirit is much more healthy. But, don’t resist, don’t carry a lot of cash/SS#/or bank account #s on you, and more often than not it won’t be the end of the world.</p>