Staying Safe – Tips for UHI Students

Following issues around safety on public transport, Moray Designate Depute Chloe has tips for Moray students and across the UHI partnership to stay safe to and from your local learning centre or campus.

Staying safe whilst out in public and on public transport is important but some people aren’t sure how to do this practically. To help with this I have put together my top ten tips for staying safe because I believe everyone should feel safe while out and about. 

In this article I will tell you my tips for staying safe and expanding on them to help you understand a bit more about what I mean! 

Top ten tips: 

1. Always remain vigilant and aware of things that seems suspicious to you – You should always remain vigilant and aware while in public and on public transport because there is times where inappropriate behaviour is displayed. Being vigilant and aware of this means you can spot it early and remove yourself from the situation. 

2. Always report any suspicious behaviour you see – If you see behaviour that doesn’t look right remove yourself from the situation and report the behaviour that you’ve seen to local authorities or staff. 

3. Be an active bystander - Being an active bystander means being aware of when someone's behaviour is inappropriate or threatening and choosing to challenge it. If you do not feel comfortable doing this directly, then get someone to help you such as a friend or someone in authority. You should always report the behaviour to police or staff first so you can remain safe as well. 

4. Call out inappropriate behaviour from others – If another person is displaying inappropriate behaviour remember to report it. 

5. Look out for each other – We should all look out for each other while out and about and make sure we are all staying safe together. 

6. Keep comments about others to yourself – If you have comments about somebody else this is better kept to yourself because saying it out loud could make someone feel uneasy or unsafe. 

7. Keep your distance while walking at night – When travelling at night it can be scary, and many can feel unsafe or uneasy so if you feel this way while out at night it can help to keep your distance from others. 

8. Understand some people may be nervous while travelling alone, ask if they are ok – If you see someone that is travelling alone be mindful that some people can feel nervous while doing this so to help if you see they are struggling help them and ask if they are ok. 

9. Don't stare at others as it sometimes can feel intimidating or make others feel uncomfortable – Some people may feel uncomfortable or intimidated when people stare so not doing this can help a lot to ease that uneasy feeling some people may have. 

10. Know the issues and spot the signs – Know the issues that some people face while out in public or on public transport and know the signs so you can spot it. 

I hope these tips I have shared help when in public and on public transport, remember there are people to help you such as police or local people. If you feel unsafe act - it’s better to report it earlier than later. 

One of my goals this year is to work with your Moray Depute President Sarah on public transport to and from campus and we want to get student views. If you have a spare minute, please complete this form which is asking about the safety and reliability of public transport - Public Transport Safety Survey - we will then use this to share with transport companies in Moray so they can act on student feedback.