Very true. I went to school in University City in Philly and every new year some freshman got murdered (usually from UofP). Assualts were common and to make things worse, some of these students were so "green" that I wanted rob them to teach them a lesson.
I would warn people where not go - I was born and raised in Philly- and I would be rebuked with the pc blather - "they're missunderstood, you're racist, don't bother them they won't bother you". Utter nonsense.
They learned the hard way
A lot of urban universities are near bad neighborhoods.
The day I was born, my father was almost beaten to death in by a bunch of young black thugs in a laundromat near the University of Chicago. He said that police arrested an old black wino and asked him if that was who had done it. The message he wanted me to remember was that the police were racist, God rest him.
In spite of my upbringing I did learn enough sense to stay away from bad neighborhoods and be wary of potential young thugs and pay attention to inner alarms. Although I did wander along the railroad tracks in Cambridge to pick wildflowers and birdwatch while I was there - was nature-deprived. Not far from the housing projects. Never saw anyone but me on the tracks, luckily.
Man, do I have a lot to teach my daughters - and my boys too, I guess - before they go off to college. My oldest girl always says, “Why are you telling me this? I know.” But she really doesn’t.