"College Safety 101" by Kathleen Baty - Review

College Safety 101
Author: Kathleen Baty
Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1 edition (May 4, 2011)
ISBN: 9780811869492
Paperback: 208 pages

Synopsis

A must-have for every young woman headed off to college, this comprehensive guide to personal safety covers everything from daily life to more serious threats on campus. Safety expert and speaker Kathleen Baty offers young women essential advice for protecting themselves in the dorm, at parties, on Facebook, during spring break, and while studying abroad. She also advises on sexual harassment, domestic violence, and self-defense. Written in a friendly, accessible tone, and packed with checklists, personal anecdotes from students, safety secrets, and invaluable resources, College Safety 101 is the handbook every college student needs on her nightstand, and a priceless gift for high school grads.

 My Thoughts:

Hand a teen a book that even looks like a safety instruction manual, and you will see the eyes roll and the "I'm not reading this - everyone knows how to be safe" look appear. I know - I have a teen leaving for college soon.

When I got this book, I wanted to read it and to see what safety issues I might have missed that could clue her in on. So, in somewhat the same mindset that my teen had, I sat down to read it. All I can say is "WOW!" Written in a conversational tone, this book is not only instructional, but engaging. It is written by a stalking victim that speaks to teens at their level and addresses things like the first month of college life, parties, road trips, dorm life, credit cards... everything a teen will be faced with in their new phase of life.

The book is written so it doesn't have to be read cover to cover, but instead, is broken down into chapters. Going on a road trip? Skip to the chapter that deals with it. It covers many essentials: ie: what should be taken, what to do in an emergency, etc.

Each chapter starts out with a true story in which someone was either victimized or could have been. The chapter then deals with what to do to prevent things from happening, or what to do in certain situations when you can't prevent it. There are even fun exercises that the teen and her roommate can do to increase awareness.

Honestly, even as a seasoned adult with a child already in college, I learned things: I didn't know that security reports for colleges were posted for the public and until now, I didn't have the first clue what one would do if they were a victim of identity theft.

Truly an amazing book that should be read not only by teens but every woman!

This book was supplied through the Amazon Vine Program for me to honestly review.