What can parents do to reduce the risk to their sons and daughters whilst they are at university?
Parents should ensure their sons and daughters are aware of advice on personal safety and protecting personal goods before they leave home to go to university. Ensuring property is marked, for example, can help deter thieves and assist the police in investigating the crime. Students are advised to mark their property with the name of their University and student ID number. Buying a timer-switch that they can use with lights or a radio to give the impression someone is in is also a very practical idea. Parents can check whether their own insurance policy covers students and, if not, can sometimes pay an additional premium to include this, which may be cheaper than taking out a separate policy. Parents can also help house hunting, ensuring the house has adequate security provision. They can also spend time checking the areas where the student will be living, in terms of personal safety when walking around in the area. There is a cross-Government initiative to provide a one-stop source of
