Students in Manchester are at risk of being violently or sexually assualted more than anywhere in England and Wales outside of London, a new study has found.
Using official police data, the Complete University Guide assessed the three different types of crime which it says students are most likely to fall victim of – burglary, sexual and violent crimes and robbery.
The study claims that outside of the capital, universities in Manchester are among those located in areas with high crime rates.
All of the figures relate to the universities and the surrounding area, and include all victims, not just students because official data for crimes affecting students specifically is not available.
The Guide are now calling on universities to inform prospective students of crime levels on and off campus.
The Guide’s principal author, Dr Bernard Kingston, said: “It is to the credit of many universities, especially those in high crime areas, that they do much to advise students on precautions they should take to avoid becoming the victims of crime.
“But many students, including those from overseas attracted by the strong academic reputations of the UK’s universities, are all too often unaware of the level of crime in the areas around their chosen institutions.
“All prospective students should be able to compare the risks for individual institutions with much greater precision.”
According to the report, The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester is located in the area with the highest crime rate outside of London, with around 28.87 incidents reported per 1,000 residents.
This was followed by Manchester Metropolitan University with 28.66 reported incidents and Manchester University with 28.58 reported incidents.
Students in London are the most at risk from being a victim of these crimes, the research suggests.
In total, 20 London universities were in areas with higher crime rates than other parts of England and Wales.
The Guide claims ifs University College and King’s College London are located in areas with the highest crime rates for the three types of offences examined, with around 36.65 reported incidents per 1,000 residents between May 2013 and April 2014.
A spokesman for ifs University College said: “Like any other university located in a major city, ifs University College includes comprehensive advice and guidance regarding personal safety as part of its induction processes for new students.”
The study also found that the independent Buckingham University is resides in the area with the lowest crime rate at 7.22 reported incidents per 1,000 residents.
This is followed by University of Winchester with 8.54 reported incidents.
In London, Kingston University is in the area with the lowest local crime rate, with 15.41 reported incidents per 1,000 residents.
Image courtesy of Mike Peel, with thanks.
