Crime prevention is the process of the development of an elaborate plan of action and programs which target the reduction of the risk of occurrence of any crime. Crime prevention not only prevents the loss of property but also reduces the long-term cost associated with criminal justice. Some crime prevention strategies cause fear of indulgence in crime and victim's fear of re-victimization. This study analyses the prevalence of sexual assaults in a university environment and an appropriate prevention plan.
Sexual Assault in Universities
According to the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (2015), sexual violence is one of the most severe issues in universities. In most cases, men are the perpetrators of sexual violence and sexual assault. Majority of sexual assault incidences usually go unreported due to fear of expression. Sexual assault not only causes physical injuries to students but also lead to long-term health and psychological effects on both men and women. Most of the campus assault cases occur during the first eight weeks of classes. Moreover, in most cases, the perpetrators of the act are usually known to the victims. A separate study conducted by James and Capp (2017) revealed that there are four major contributors to crime in university settings. They include attitude towards the women, drug abuse, abuse of positions of power and uncontrolled access to university residential places. The survey further found out that around 90 percent of sexually assaulted students do not report. Repeat rape cases committed by the same individuals are more common. Safety of both female and male students is a major concern in the university. Therefore, investment in crime prevention is vital for sexual assault prevention.
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An Overview of Sexual Crime Patterns
According to Senjo (2002), most sex offenders come from broken homes. This causes them to suffer low self-esteem. These family foundations cause a spiritual breakdown. Sex is part of the spirit, and some sexual dysfunctional behaviours leading to sexual assault is due to the spiritual breakdown. However, Senjo's model of sexual crime pattern is limited to a family setup. Suzuki (2014) conducted a study to find out the role of sexual aggression in individual attitudes towards rape. According to Prenzler (2017), the four major assumptions on why men commit rape include irresistible impulse for sexual gratification, victim perception and mental problems. These assumptions portray rape to be something beyond the control of the perpetrators.
Mogavero & Hsu (2017) carried out a study to assess if the type of location, victim characteristics, as well as situational characteristics, would lead to the occurrence of a sexual crime. Using a sample of 114 sex offenders, the study revealed that sex offenders were more likely to complete their sexual offences away from places where students congregate. The research also found out that sex offenders mostly used non-coercive strategies to lure victims. Sex offenders are also more likely to commit offences in geographical locations they are personally familiar with because they are aware of the patterns of movements of the victims. Places with fewer surveillance as well as those with less traffic often tend to offer condusive environment for criminal opportunities. Steele and Opie (2017) further states that therefore, some sex offenders choose not to commit a crime in particular interrupted locations. They opt to choose other isolated alternatives. Two distinct features differentiate sexual crimes from other crimes like theft and burglary. First, sex offences, especially among university students, involve offenders who are well acquainted with the victims. Second, this occurs due to the relationship between the ex-offenders and the victims, the offenders may use non-coercive methods which involve a well planned, calculated manipulation/ enticement strategy. The authors also found out that the sexual offender usually selects the journey to sexual crime after an analysis of the victim's pattern of activity. Offenders typically travel shorter distances to commit sexual offences, unlike other criminal activities. In some situations, the offenders are usually in a similar area of residence or locality with the victims (Freilich et al., 2017).
Sexual Violence Prevention Infrastructure Plan
The rationale of the Plan
There is need to invest in the development of infrastructure that would help in the primary prevention of sexual assault crime in the university locality. The rationale of a well-developed infrastructure is to provide coordination, coordination and to ensure the effective use of resources. The infrastructure must be designed in a way that it will facilitate the process of data collection and distribution and advance changes in policies. The infrastructural environment also plays a key role in influencing the perception of safety. Students will, therefore, have a feeling of being safe in a university that involves high safety infrastructural design measures.
Theoretical Framework of the Sexual Violence Prevention Infrastructure Plan
A study conducted by Cozens and Love (2015) revealed that sexual violence prevention infrastructure can be explained using the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The primary aim of the theory is to physically and socially identify the environment that provides opportunities for the occurrence of sexual crimes and altering them in time to prevent further occurrence of the crime. The main idea behind the theory is that the design of the environment can facilitate an occurrence of a crime. The logic behind the crime prevention using CPTED is that sexual crime prevention can be achieved through policies that prevent potential criminals from taking part in the criminal acts, delaying occurrence and making them to avoid the most vulnerable target group. This can be done in 3 ways, by guarding the targeted sexual assault locations, controlling the means of committing a crime and monitoring the steps of potential offenders. However, due to the mobile nature of human beings, deterrence of potential sexual offenders will tend to be ineffective. Therefore CPTED can be only appropriate in reducing exposure to acts of sexual assault. Some of the sexual crime prevention strategies that the theory suggests include, designing of the university layout, using security guards and police in high-risk places and installing cameras alarms that are used to control the access of individual. They can also be used to monitor suspicious activities within the university (Mikolic-Torreira, 2017).
A separate study conducted by Welsh and Farrington (2014) explained infrastructural prevention plan using the situational crime theory. The main idea is to safeguard university’s living places from the entry of criminal offenders. According to the theory, residential areas that have a low defensive space are more vulnerable to entry of sexual offenders. Residents should be structured in a way to enhance visibility and to provide for interaction platforms for students to know each other. The primary concept in this theory is to monitor the entry of strangers into residential locations.
Infrastructural Measures
According to Dills, Fowler, and Payne (2016), infrastructure encompasses a variety of organizational systems and structures. According to the study, some areas of infrastructure that need action include using a well-trained staff in areas of sexual violence prevention. They should have knowledge of public health, social ecological model and strategies o prevent sexual violence. Other opportunities for action include hiring a prevention staff, making prevention to be part of everyone’s job, creating a functional group that will stand against sexual violence. The study further suggests that the university needs to foster good relationships between the students and their counselors (Deckert & Sarre, 2017).
Northwest University (2012) emphasizes the incorporation of emergency communication facilities. These facilities include emergency notification alarms in all targeted areas, outdoor alert systems which make it possible to broadcast live voices, emergency tones and recorded voice messages to all locations with sirens. The study also suggests that there should be a team of community service officers to monitor all buildings within the university and control access to halls and residential places by only authorized people who have legitimate agendas there.
Bajpai (2015) suggests that there are indirect and direct means of reducing crime opportunities. Direct means involve organizing the physical infrastructure targeted by offenders. Indirect means involve organizing people to modify their behavior in a way that would minimize vulnerability to sexual activities. According to Bajpai, the first techniques of infrastructural control are to increase the effort. This may involve availing control weapons, screen exits and controlled access. Second, the risks should be improved. This consists of strengthening surveillance.
Chippo (2016) found out that transport infrastructure is also a contributing factor to sexual assault crime. He examined the patterns of reported crime before and after an alteration of transport infrastructure system. Transport infrastructures leading to university campuses also need to be monitored. One aspect of crime prevention plan is to prevent a repeat of the occurrence of the same sexual crime. A report from the American Vice President, Biden (2017) suggested that there should be facilities and that support survivors after assault too prevent repeat cases of the same scenarios. For instance, transportation facilities to the residential areas that are more prone to crime. The university should also be in a position to offer alternative accommodation facilities to the survivor if need be ( Farrall, 2017).
Crime is usually concentrated in specific areas where they are regarded as the best opportunities for offence or advantageous to the criminal. These patterns often come about due to poor planning, zoning and bad developmental habits. According to Hipp (2015), all places have points with a relatively intense occurrence of criminal activities including the localities with high crime rates. It is vital to get to know why the crime is happening in that particular place and not anywhere else. Dalton et al., (2017) further states that one way of finding out the reasons for specific criminal hotspots is by analyzing the numerous factors that result in the occurrence of the crime and how structures in a particular locality are built. This will be the basis of coming up with cost-effective strategies.
The effectiveness of Infrastructure Crime Control Plan
In Canada, one of the crime prevention units called the Peel recorded an 85 percent drop in all criminal incidence including sexual offences. The unit focused on pinpointing specific problem locations within the school. The school had experienced a high rate of sexual assault cases. Furthermore, the school incorporated infrastructural design plans like the reorganization of the parking spaces and clearly defining controlled areas Dills, Fowler, & Payne (2016).The Northwestern University also recorded a drastic drop in crime after implementation of crime prevention strategy that was centered on installing security surveillance cameras, employing guards and also restricting unauthorized access to some school facilities (Northwest University, 2012).
Conclusion
Although infrastructure prevention strategy is considered to be the most appropriate for sexual crime prevention, the plan is subjected to some limitation. The process of implementation takes time. The plan is also costly. Ethical aspects should be considered during crime prevention. It is mandatory to maintain human rights while trying to modify criminal opportunities. The modification of criminal opportunities and other prevention strategies should be equal to all social classifications. It is also vital to share responsibility with the other members of the society (Dion, 2015).
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