Crimes, from battery to rape, can be a reality of college life, and students headed to school should know how to protect themselves, Josh Biera, a lieutenant with the Kansas Highway Patrol, said Sunday at a college safety presentation.

The presentation, held at St. Dominic Parish Center in Garden City, was intended to show students that threats to their safety are "not just something that happens to someone else," organizer Jean Clifford said.

That thought of "it won't happen to me" is one of the biggest misconceptions in a world where two of every 10 women are somehow sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, according to Biera. And the college years are one of the most important times to develop awareness.

"You're not going to be under your parents' wing anymore," he said. "This is your first step toward adulthood -- your first step toward finding out how people are without your parents' protection."

Biera discussed crimes including assault, verbal threats that make a person feel at risk though there is no physical contact; battery, an incident of physical harm; and rape. Rape, he said, can range from an attack by a stranger to forced sex by a spouse or significant other.

Sex crimes probably happen even more than most statistics show because some go unreported, Biera said.

"A sex crime is probably one of the hardest crimes to report," he said.

Part of the reason for that is because of the long process a victim has to endure, sharing intimate details of the crime with police officers, doctors, lawyers and others.

He said the process lasts at least several months, and defense lawyers likely will make the accused look as upstanding as possible while making the victim look promiscuous.

"Who has the embarrassment and the shame? The victim," Biera said. "But don't let that discourage you, because the crime did happen."

Evidence collection is an important part of prosecuting a sex crime, he said, so any victim of a sexual assault by an unknown person should try to collect a telling piece of evidence from the perpetrator by pulling hair or scratching the person, and should avoid showering or bathing after an attack.

A victim of any assault or battery also should try to observe identifying details that would be difficult for a perpetrator to change, such as eye color, race or tattoos, as well as the attacker's shoes, which are less likely to be thrown away than other clothing, Biera said.

He said that just because these crimes can happen when college students are far from home doesn't mean they are without any protection, with resources including campus security and local law enforcement -- phone numbers Biera said should be on speed dial in students' cell phones.

He also advised that students always tell someone they trust, like a resident assistant or friend, where they're planning to go every time they leave. They also should avoid walking around campus alone at night and should travel with at least one other person when going to a social event, he said.

Other tips included:

n When in stairwells or hallways, walk on the side that gives you the best view of what's coming around the corner. Don't round corners without looking to see what's ahead of you.

n Stand by the buttons in an elevator, and if someone comes in that makes you feel uncomfortable, press all the buttons on the way to your destination, so the doors have to continue opening.

n Never allow yourself to be lured into the car of someone you don't know.