Empower – “What Makes you Feel Unsafe?”

Photo by Allie Jamison

This semester, we took the time to interview female students on campus to ask them two questions. What makes you feel unsafe and what do you do to protect yourself.

This week, we will be tackling the question of:

“What makes you feel unsafe?”

“It makes me feel unsafe when I feel like I’m being followed by a person. I’ve dealt with many situations where I’ve been publicly stalked by people (people that are strangers) to the point where I remember vividly… just walking around a Barnes & Noble, and I noticed someone following me to the point that I was moving through many different areas, so that that person would stop. Sometimes feeling like I’m being watched, but usually it’s strangers, and if it’s people that I know, I guess I’m being judged for something. Another thing that makes me feel unsafe is ‘atmosphere’… I do walk around campus at night- It just helps me to feel calm. But say I go off campus and it’s a completely different atmosphere… I see safety as what I feel familiar to.”

– Lyric A.

“I think certain situations makes me feel unsafe. For example, if I am walking alone at night, I will either take someone with me or call them on the phone to feel safe. Also, when being with certain people, I can be on-high alert if I can sense that a situation can become dangerous.”

– Anonymous

“I worked at a grocery store. I usually had later shifts, so I’d end at around 8pm or 9pm, and just having to walk out into the dark, especially where there could be tons of people I don’t know… Even driving in my car, like if somebody turns into my neighborhood at the exact same time I do.”

– Sydney R.

“When people invade my space without invitation, or when they make comments about, like what I choose to wear or what I choose to do. I’m just like, one, that is none of your business, and two… I don’t know- it just makes me feel creeped out and unsafe.”

– Hannah B.

“Men leering at me, men yelling out from their cars at me, men walking quickly right behind me. I’ve been catcalled a lot (and most of the time wearing gym clothes), and it’s always older men screaming obscenities at me from their cars.”

– Anonymous

“I feel unsafe when I can feel that someone is staring at me for long periods of time, especially after I have looked at them or made eye contact with them and they continue to stare. Also, when I am surrounded by a large group of people or out in a public place… also when I go out at night.”

– Anonymous

“Walking alone at night, alone in public spaces. Also, parking on Cody Street and walking to the dorms can make me feel unsafe. Lowkey guns and people yelling makes me feel unsafe.”

– Liz E.

“I feel unsafe when I am alone in the dark. Especially when I had night classes and had to walk back home alone, I felt unsafe even though I was on campus.”

– Milan H.

“I have a pretty good sense of someone else’s presence so if I feel, However, whenever I am in sketchy neighborhoods, I can feel unsafe.”

– Emma R.

“I am typically not prone to fear or feeling unsafe. I may feel unsafe while walking alone at night, or walking alone in an unknown place.”

– Anonymous

“I would say men, specifically when they are staring a lot, or when they approach me and I am not prepared, and they’re strangers.”

– Anonymous

“I don’t normally feel unsafe because I am on a pretty safe campus compared to other sketchy and unsafe areas”

– Sydney C.

“I mostly feel unsafe when I am alone and I feel unprepared to defend myself if I needed to defend myself.”

– Eden K.

“Some things that make me feel unsafe are walking around alone at night and, I think, shopping alone.”

– Abigail R.

“Probably tall men… mostly just men just giving me weird vibes. Umm, not all men are bad. Just some of them.”

– Anonymous

“Men. I just feel like, in my opinion, all men are bad until proven otherwise, so I just can’t really trust them.”

– Anonymous

“Walking alone at night, especially in an unfamiliar area.”

– Anonymous

“Walking alone, and also around dark corners.”

– Anonymous

Thank you so much for reading this article, please come back to hear more topics! If you do have any topics that you would like us to talk about email Steffanie Abbey (sabbey@students.ccu.edu) or Deborah Sifuentes(dsifuentes@students.ccu.edu).