Gen Z Feels Unsafe on Campus at Day and Night - How Security Can Respond

New survey findings examine safety concerns alongside expectations for cameras, AI features and video retention.

• By Brady Edwards
• September 17, 2026

Campus security teams are often underrecognized for their diligence in keeping students, faculty, staff, and wider communities safe.

Despite ongoing budget limitations, safety professionals have pivoted with evolving risks and continually find better ways to achieve 24/7 safety across campus. They prevent countless incidents from escalating daily and are integral in supporting student well-being.

As colleges and universities welcome students for the new academic year, security teams will soon navigate unique factors that will quickly pressure-test their strategies. Specifically:

• Student activism surrounding the upcoming election cycle may present situations where First Amendment rights come under question, or peaceful demonstrations could escalate into heated arguments and possible violence.
• Increased public awareness of security technologies underscores the need for teams to apply capabilities ethically, select tools with cautious intention to avoid unforeseen risks, and maintain transparency to quell potential student concerns.
• Rapidly changing weather patterns could pose safety risks or cause situations that demand immediate, informed action to keep everyone safe.

To ground your planning in current circumstances, new data reveals how students feel about their safety on campus, whether they accept security technologies, and what expectations they have regarding the balance between humans and technology.

Let's examine the findings to guide your security investments with confidence and position your security team to effectively navigate unique challenges this year.

Gen Z is Concerned About Their Safety on Campus at Day and Night

The 2026 Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark, conducted by The Harris Poll, provides a timely look at how Americans feel about their safety in public spaces, including on college and university campuses.

Respondents expressed clear concerns about their personal safety on campus during the day and night, which can embolden teams to find ways to address these concerns and improve the overall sense of safety on campus.

Key findings from the research include:

• 47% of Gen Z, respondents aged 18-29, believe campuses need increased security at any time of day, reflecting their No. 1 choice among options including open-air public events, concerts or stadium events, and local parks.
• 24% of Gen Z say they have safety concerns when on campus during the day, also reported by 24% of women aged 18-34 and 16% of men aged 18-34.
• 30% of Gen Z avoid visiting campuses after dark due to personal safety concerns. Nighttime avoidance was also stated by 35% of women, 23% of men, 24% of Millennials (aged 30 to 45), and 29% of Gen X (aged 46 to 61).

The report found no significant differences across geographic regions, suggesting that campus safety is a nationwide concern. Security teams can augment these findings with campus-specific surveys to better understand the feelings of their unique students, faculty, and staff regarding specific topics or campus areas.

Building a Connected, Effective Campus Security Ecosystem

Campus security teams have made significant strides in connecting their previously siloed technologies, driving meaningful safety improvements through optimized visibility, awareness, and responsiveness.

As teams continue to strengthen their foundation to address the dynamic threat environment, it is often challenging to balance new risks with resource limitations and to weigh the trade-offs among existing technology optimization, new technology investment, and human capital strategy.

The following questions can help security leaders identify possible areas for improvement:

• What is common among the highest-impact incidents from last year? Could we have prevented or addressed these incidents more quickly with a different approach?
• Which campus areas have the greatest overlap between human presence and technology solutions? Which areas have the greatest gaps in visibility or coverage?
• What routine activities take considerable time for humans to address? Can technology accelerate or eliminate these activities?

Every sensor, camera, and alert system can both deter unwanted activity and empower human personnel to respond effectively to situations that demand their attention. However, systems can quickly add too much noise if false alarms and misconfigured settings create alert fatigue. An optimal stack prioritizes human time and prevents incidents altogether.

What Gen Z Wants from Security Cameras on Campus

Security cameras will likely be evaluated during strategy discussions, as they are a common tool for both deterrence and visibility. The Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark offers insight into how security cameras could benefit your security posture and associated ethical considerations:

• 88% of Gen Z would feel much or somewhat safer when visiting a public space at night if highly visible security cameras are present.
• The majority of Americans (54%) believe cameras should be highly visible and clearly announced to maximize public awareness. However, 45% of Gen Z specifically share this preference, and 46% believe that cameras should be hidden and blend into the environment to maximize the potential to gather evidence.
• Gen Z has mixed feelings about whether security cameras are more or less effective than human guards for deterring crime. 28% believe cameras are more effective, 36% believe cameras are neither more nor less effective, and 36% believe cameras are less effective.
• 73% of Gen Z believe organizations should be able to activate or deactivate specific AI features based on their needs.
• 40% of Gen Z want collected video security footage to be securely deleted after 30 days if no crime is detected, and 44% want organizations to release annual reports detailing how the cameras were used.

These numbers suggest that security cameras can help students feel safer; however, technology cannot entirely replace human guards, and institutions must carefully consider policies on AI use and video retention periods.

Creating Safer Campuses Together

Students and faculty deserve to freely engage in their day-to-day activities without fear. Campus safety teams work tirelessly to make this a reality so generations of Americans can advance their education.

Technology is an essential tool to amplify what guards can accomplish, but humans are vital for interpreting the nuances of any situation and reflecting their community's values in the security strategy.

Through ongoing assessment, collaboration, and open communication, teams can implement security strategies that keep pace with any outside forces.