 More than half of all student crimes go unreported |
Nearly one in three students in the East Midlands has been a victim of crime, a new survey has revealed. Students were most likely to be victims of burglary or theft, although 4% of those questioned said they had been stalked in the past year.
The survey of 315 students at seven universities in the region also revealed that 60% of all crimes against students went unreported.
The findings of research for the Home Office were revealed on Tuesday following a year-long study.
Other figures showed students were twice as likely to be burglary victims if they lived in private rented accommodation rather than on a campus.
STUDENT CRIME Theft/attempted theft - 28% Criminal damage - 24% Burglary - 22% Assaults - 13% Robbery - 9% Sexual offences - 3% |
It showed that 71% of student crime victims did not want support afterwards. It also made recommendations for reducing student victimisation.
These included:
Crime advice should take into account student lifestyles Students should be given local knowledge about crime Landlords should be encouraged to provide adequate security for student accommodation The National Union of Students (NUS) said the figures revealed that students were crime targets.
NUS president Mandy Telford said students often lived in "substandard accommodation... at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords", which made them vulnerable to burglary.
 The safety and well-being of students is of prime importance  Robert Burgess, University of Leicester vice-chancellor |
"With four or five students commonly sharing a student house there is often four or five times the domestic goods that burglars know they can sell on quickly." She urged students to ensure their homes were secure, take out insurance and to report all crimes.
Home Office Minister, Bob Ainsworth, said the government was working to ensure student were aware of crime issues.
A new information website about student crime has been set up and 'Campus Watch' schemes are being promoted, he said.
Professor Robert Burgess, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester and chair of the East Midlands Universities Association, welcomed the report.
"The safety and well-being of students is of prime importance to institutions involved in education," he said.
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