What are the Most Common Violent Crimes on College Campuses?

From small, private colleges to large state universities, most postsecondary institutions do everything they can to ensure the safety of students and faculty. However, it’s impossible to eliminate criminal activity entirely, and most institutions report some incidences of violent crime each year.

As a college student or parent, being aware of the types of crimes that occur on campuses is one of the first steps to staying safe. Fortunately, all postsecondary institutions that receive federal funding are required to publicly report data regarding on-campus crimes. While the data for specific schools should be available on their websites, the following statistics shed light on the most common violent crimes on college campuses:

• According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a total of 28,500 criminal incidents on college campuses were reported to police or campus security agencies in 2018. This translates to 19.5 on-campus crimes reported per 10,000 full-time college students in the U.S.
• Of these 28,500 reported crimes, 12,300 (43%) were forcible sex offenses. Other crimes included burglaries (9,600 incidents, or 34% of crimes), motor vehicle thefts (3,100 incidents, or 11%), aggravated assaults (2,200 incidents, or 8%) and robberies (800 incidents, or 3%). Less common violent crimes included arson (2%) and murder (less than 1%).
• Colleges that have residence halls, are located near large cities, or have high rates of alcohol and drug usage among students tend to experience the most crimes.
• The good news is that campus crime rates have generally declined over the past two decades. However, it’s important to keep in mind that many institutions appear to underreport the number of violent crimes that occur on their campuses—particularly those involving sexual assault.
• According to a 2016 study by the FBI of 18 colleges and universities in Florida (which does not include all of the state’s postsecondary institutions), FSU Tallahassee had the highest number of violent crimes per 100 students. However, none of the institutions reported any incidents of murder or manslaughter that year.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a violent crime on a college campus, there are many crucial steps to take. In the immediate aftermath of the crime, the first step is to get to a well-lit, populated space as soon as possible and call 911.

Once you have filed a police report, received medical attention as needed, and reported the incident to campus authorities, another important step is to contact an attorney to discuss your legal options. Colleges and universities are legally obligated to provide safe environments for students, which includes implementing proper security measures and issuing warnings about known threats. If your school has failed to fulfill these duties, they may be subject to civil liability.

For more information about the legal duties of colleges and universities, or to schedule a consultation with our experienced attorneys, call Leighton Panoff Law today at 888.988.1774.