Violent crimes are occuring all around us these days and becoming more and more publicized. From the missing girls out West to the tragedy of James Norwood here on campus to the anniversary of 9/11, it is no wonder that we are experiencing greater fears when we are alone.
There are so many times that I have wondered how many others are like myself. Time and time again, I find myself jumping every time I hear a strange noise. Is this normal? I never used to have worries about being alone at night. I can hardly stand to be in a house by myself after dark any more for fear of something happening to me.
I am sure that I am not the only person who has these reservations. There are many people that have had these worries for as long as they can remember. On the other hand, I, like many others, have just discovered these emotions as a result of all of the uproar in the news about crimes sweeping our country.
What can we do about these fears? I am not sure if there is an answer to this question. There will always be something in your life that you are afraid of because we are all human. But how can we minimize the amount of doubt that we have from past events and the threat of something happening to us?
Reducing our exposure to these things might help reduce the fears of something taking place. If we keep ourselves busy and away from the television, we could limit our thoughts about a certain event. Surrounding yourself with people, especially people who you are close to, can also help to calm your fears.
Regardless of what the problem is that you are having with these occurrences, talking to someone about them is always a great help.
Having fears from day to day and worrying about crime is normal. People always use the phrase, “You never know, it could happen to me,” which does not go a long way in reassuring a person. However, we can reassure ourselves if we take the time to sit down and relax.
There has always been violent crime in the world, but we are now getting to the point where we are made much more aware of it with greater and greater frequency. This fact makes us more scared that something is going to happen. With these crimes happening on our campus, it becomes more real to students.
We should have fears about crime so that we are cautious but not to the point that we worry ourselves to death. If you have any problems with this and need someone to talk to, visit the Counseling Center on the third floor of the Culp Center or call 439-4841.

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