Fear of Walking Alone at Night

A Saint Joseph’s University senior discusses being afraid of walking alone at night. She discusses her fear both on and off campus. She explains how she does not think it can go away, but is something she has grown up with. 

 

Start Talking SJU is a social media impact campaign that encourages members of the Saint Joseph’s University community to engage each other by discussing difficult, yet important topics, that are vital for a healthy, open, inclusive campus. Our current topic is Living in Fear, Striving for Hope.

 

More videos like this one on the topic of Living in Fear, Striking for Hope in 2020 can be found at http://livinginfear.starttalkingsju.com. You can also see our prior campaigns: Attacked (http://attacked.starttalkingsju.com), Belonging (http://belonging.starttalking.com), and Mental Health (http://mentalhealth.starttalking.com).

 

This video was co-created with the person depicted and/or represented in a story read by another. All persons reviewed and signed consent forms granting permission to share this story online. 

 

If you are experiencing any personal or social effects due to fear on or off campus, the university has resources that can help, including:

 

The Office of Student Outreach and Support (https://sites.sju.edu/sos/); the SJU COVID website (https://www.sju.edu/hawk-hill-ready); if you are experiencing food insecurity, HawkHub (https://clubs.sju.edu/hawkhubclub); The Bias Activity Review Group, which connects to Public Safety (https://sites.sju.edu/oid/bias/); CAPS (610-660-1090); TitleIX titleIX@sju.edu; REPP (*confidential support) 610-733-9650 (24 hr. Peer Helpline); or SJU Public Safety 610-660-1111.

 

A complete transcript of the video reads as follows:

“I am a senior marketing major at St Joseph’s University. So. I normally, no matter where I am, don’t like walking around at night by myself. Even in Manayunk, I don’t feel comfortable with it. Um I think personally I just am very aware, so I’m very conscious of my own personal safety. Which, probably makes me more fearful because I am always thinking, like watching behind my shoulder and things like that. Just because I know the world we live in and iI know that it’s not um… There are bad people out there, no matter where you are, um, even if you’re just at home, you know, in your nice house in the suburbs. um. You know you can’t be too comfortable and I think that’s just how I live my life. Um I always am very conscious of my personal safety. That’s just something I’ve been taught like growing up from my own family, just always being cautious and being aware of your surroundings. Um and that’s something I take with me to college and here at St Joe’s. So I wouldn’t say… um. It’s like, it’s fear and obviously, there’s been situations where I felt fearful. Like I said, you know, at night in the parking garage, like that was a weird situation for me. I felt uncomfortable, um, but I’m definitely always just very conscious of what’s going on around me at all times and at nighttime yes I do get a little scared.”