This week has brought the time-honored tradition of High School Graduation. Many young female graduates will head off to college in August and many will do so completely unprepared for true college life.
In May, Kathleen Baty, aka, “The Safety Chick” released a book, College Safety 101: Miss Independent’s Guide to Confidence, Empowerment and Staying Safe (Chronicle Books). It is a must-have for every young woman headed off to college.
Within this comprehensive guide, Kathleen Baty covers topics such as dorm life, date rape drugs, studying abroad, sexual harassment, and much more. I read the book twice and was hard-pressed to find a topic that Baty didn’t cover.
The book has a strong emphasis on personal safety and Baty delivers this message in an optimistic, positive, and often humorous fashion. It is like receiving solid advice from an older sister who’s been through it all and, in fact, Kathleen Baty has.
About the author:
Kathleen Baty shares her experience as a stalking victim, “After fifteen years of living like a hunted animal, I came to the realization that living weak and in fear was going to destroy me, if I didn’t turn the negative into a positive. That meant becoming proactive. I decided to use my hard-won knowledge and trial-by-fire skills as a lesson for women everywhere. If I could prevent just one woman from becoming a crime victim, like myself, it would all be worth it. I created this guidebook to teach young women how to navigate through all the wonderful experiences in college without falling victim to possible dangers or crime.”
Kathleen Baty currently is a personal safety expert. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Montel Williams Show, America’s Most Wanted, Inside Edition, Good Morning America, and ABC World News Tonight. She has also been featured in People Magazine, Time Magazine, Glamour, Redbook, Women’s Day and USA Today.
Kathleen Baty’s objective is to teach young women street smarts before that have to learn it the hard way. Dangers like sexual assault and theft are obvious threats to new students, but others such as credit cards, identity theft, and social networking, which pose significant dangers, are often not discussed by parents or during college orientations.
College Safety 101 is a handbook that every young woman needs to read before heading off to college and is one that can be referenced time and again. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for parents to read also. The book is available at most bookstores, Amazon.com, and via Kathleen’s website by clicking HERE.
