Poll Shows That Women Feel Less Safe Than Men

A poll conducted by The Daily Tar Heel last week showed that 48.2 percent of women feel unsafe on campus at night, while only 7.2 percent of men do.

The poll also showed that 25 percent of women surveyed have felt threatened on campus as the result of another person's action, compared to 15 percent of men.

Diane Kjervik, director of the Carolina Women's Center, said she is not surprised by the results. "I think women on campus and women in general feel they could be victims if they are not watchful at any given time," she said.

Sue Kitchen, vice chancellor for student affairs, also said women tend to be portrayed in society as the victims of most assaults -- adding that three recent assaults on campus involved female victims.

The poll showed that 59 percent of women feel less safe since learning of the recent assaults. In comparison, 24.5 percent of men said they feel less safe.

Student leaders said that because women make up almost 60 percent of the student body, they are concerned that such a large group feels threatened.

"On a campus that is predominantly female, we need to prevent these feelings from occurring and make sure women have options," Student Body President Jen Daum said.

Kindl Shinn, chairwoman of Advocates for Sexual Assault Prevention, also said she thinks it is important for women to feel safe so they are willing to go out at night.

"The threat is more for women," Shinn said. "They worry about every sound in the bushes. You don't want to feel like a hostage."

But women are not the only group that has safety concerns -- the poll showed 33 percent of off-campus residents feel unsafe, as compared to 26.9 percent of on-campus residents. Most students and officials attributed this gap to the fact that off-campus residents must travel farther to reach their destinations. "If (off-campus) students don't drive to campus, they tend to have a longer walk, which is often less lit and with more sketchy people," said senior Nathaniel Bax.

Because off-campus students come to campus at night less often, they are less familiar with their surroundings, Kitchen said. "If you travel repeatedly (in a certain area), you become more confident."

Daum said she is worried that if off-campus residents and women do not feel safe, it will negatively affect the campus atmosphere. "We need to make sure we feel safe because of all the events on campus at night," she said.

University Police Chief Derek Poarch said several programs -- including SAFE Escort and a new Safe Ride program -- can help all students feel more safe. Daum said these programs should be expanded, a goal she said she hopes to pursue by working with the administration. She said she wants to see an expanded relationship between Chapel Hill and University police to help off-campus residents.

Kjervik also said she is not satisfied with the programs in place to help female students. She said she has applied for a Department of Justice grant that would allow her office to conduct programs to prevent violence against women.

"I think there is not enough in terms of prevention," Kjervik said. "I think programs like that would change some of the environment of fear on campus that this poll shows exist."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.