IWW Coverage – Finally feeling safe at Warwick

I have said it before and I’ll say it again: I feel more safe at Warwick than I have anywhere else in my life.

I know this sounds like an instant contradiction. Walking alone at night isn’t safe, period. We’ve all heard the statistics: there’s a higher chance of you being raped than of getting bit by a shark. Sexual offences in Warwickshire have doubled in the past two years and rape culture is still dominant even on our campus.

I know how Warwick can sometimes be dangerous. I’ve read the articles here at Boar Comment on how unsafe women have felt, and how they have been betrayed by people they know. These articles spoke to me; I knew I had to be extra-careful here at university.

I know how Warwick can sometimes be dangerous

And to top it all off, I’m living alone without a family member in the whole country. If anything happens to me, and that is a major if, how many people would know?

So why do I suddenly feel like it’s okay to walk at night, that lining up in front of clubs doesn’t scare me like it used to and that Warwick is the safest space in the world? Well, hear me out.

Lining up in front of clubs doesn’t scare me like it used to

One of my first nights here at Warwick, I walked from my friend’s accommodation back to mine. Alone. And I wasn’t scared.

That’s not the whole story; I was terrified at first. Of what, I’m not completely sure. But I remember walking pretty fast at first thinking that something bad was bound to happen to me because I was walking by myself.

I remember walking pretty fast at first thinking that something bad was bound to happen

Nothing happened. But that’s the real problem, isn’t it?

I grew up always second-guessing people’s intentions and never going out at night. Going back to my home country during the holidays meant being under constant supervision in case anything happened.

Going back to my home country during the holidays meant being under constant supervision

When I was fourteen, I thought it was normal to hear middle-aged truck drivers honk at me and catcall me. Until last year, my experiences of going out were littered with older guys making moves at me and never relenting.

Warwick has changed all that. I can walk from Sherbourne to Arthur Vick and be more scared of getting lost than of getting assaulted. I can walk home from the Copper Rooms and only have to worry about how many drunk people I see on the way. And most importantly, I can sleep at night knowing that not only am I safe, but the people I love are as well.

I can sleep at night knowing that not only am I safe, but the people I love are as well

Deep down, I know that the only reason I feel safe is because of the Warwick “bubble”. I know that this will no longer be a reality for me. I’m fully aware that next year I will probably have to speed-walk everywhere at night if I’m alone. And I understand that.

But a girl can dream, right?