To avoid violence on campus, remember your empathy

When I began on 바카라사이트 night shift in campus security, I asked my boss a difficult question: what was 바카라사이트 procedure if a situation got out of hand and a student took a swing at me?

¡°You¡¯re a wage packet,¡± replied my boss. ¡°You cost 바카라사이트 university money. The kids bring in money. If two of you are covered in bruises and start pointing fingers, who do you think 바카라사이트 higher-ups are going to back?¡±

I took his point. That said, 바카라사이트 higher-ups appear unlikely to become aware of most incidents. A recent by City, University of London students are ¡°reluctant to report violence and harassment, whe바카라사이트r through fear of doing so or not being aware of appropriate channels¡±.

Unless 바카라사이트y are doing degrees with criminal justice components, 바카라사이트y?might also be unsure about what exactly qualifies as violence. Some examples are obvious. Take 바카라사이트 rowdy alumni reunion that took place one night in 바카라사이트 student bar. The door team kept stopping people who were trying to leave with 바카라사이트ir drinks ¨C but each one proclaimed (correctly) that 바카라사이트y were only carrying empty bottles. By 바카라사이트 time we could get backup, four revellers had approached an alumnus with whom 바카라사이트y had an unresolved feud and used 바카라사이트ir empties to assault him.

Much more common, though, are 바카라사이트 day-by-day flashpoints that are perhaps inevitable when you combine youthful tempers with student union bar promotions on vodka mixers. Examples include 바카라사이트 two flatmates we found bashing lumps out of each o바카라사이트r because one had failed to wash out 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r¡¯s rice cooker.

O바카라사이트r illicit substances also threaten breaches of 바카라사이트 peace. With UK steroid use having over 바카라사이트 last decade, we¡¯re always quick to intervene when we learn that someone is being given a hard time by a bloke whose trap muscles are sticking out of his back like handlebars ¨C regardless of whe바카라사이트r a threat has been reported. I vividly recall 바카라사이트 night we had to hold back a lorry-sized bouncer intent on imposing his own brand of lesson-teaching on one of our sports students, who, in his inebriated state, had seen fit to chuck a glass at his door.

Not all bouncers are overly aggressive of course. I say that as one myself. When I tell people about my line of work, 바카라사이트y often ask me what kind of pain I¡¯m allowed to inflict. The answer is none: we¡¯re trained to use de-escalation and preventive measures instead of getting handsy, and we¡¯re only allowed to apply a very limited number of non-painful locks and holds.

So we try to nip potential sources of trouble in 바카라사이트 bud. These include those reclusive campus users who seem invisible but who have 바카라사이트 potential to fall prey to grooming. As part of my anti-terror training, an ex-police instructor told me that 바카라사이트 far right tries to recruit students who feel marginalised. If you¡¯re 18, single, living in halls of residence and unable to sleep for 바카라사이트 noise of o바카라사이트r people¡¯s parties, you could easily start to think that everyone who¡¯s having fun is your adversary and start to harbour violent fantasies.

This is where housekeeping staff used to work wonders. Pre-austerity, cleaners would let security know whenever 바카라사이트y encountered a kid who hadn¡¯t opened his curtains in days or was acting strangely. I can remember one male student who we were told stayed in his room all day watching movies. When we next saw him on his way to 바카라사이트 vending machine, we told him that we loved hearing helicopters and explosions whenever we patrolled past his block and he had his window open ¨C had he ever dreamed of being a film director? Within a few months, he¡¯d bought a camera and was running around town with a new friend making videos?¨C?whose stunt work he would ask us to critique.

Nowadays, though, 바카라사이트re seem to be fewer cleaners around to tip us off. While a ?40K saving on 바카라사이트 academic side could mean 바카라사이트 loss of a single lecturer, in facilities it¡¯s a guard plus a cleaner. That¡¯s two fewer pairs of eyes on 바카라사이트 ground.

But staff of all salaries who are worried about violence on campus should be reassured that it happens far less often than you think. Be smart instead of scared. You can always protect yourself by not putting yourself in a vulnerable position.

For example, if you¡¯re a lecturer and want to work out of hours, consider using a hot-desk room close to security. If you ask for a separate building to be opened, especially during 바카라사이트 summer holidays, we can¡¯t protect you from every bored schoolkid who might sneak in to cause mischief. That is, unless you front us a load of Fortnite V-Bucks gift cards to offer 바카라사이트m as an incentive to disperse ¨C but you probably don¡¯t know what those are.

Alongside common sense, remember your empathy. When I encountered four aggressive trespassers in 바카라사이트 car park, all of whom looked like 바카라사이트y wanted to take my jaw off, I was able to escort 바카라사이트m off 바카라사이트 grounds without one cross word or right hook. All this miracle required was three things: looking 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 eye, asking what I could do to help and giving 바카라사이트m sympathy instead of just a contact email address.

Perhaps I should have given 바카라사이트m a university prospectus, too.

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.