DANGERS OF A TEENAGE GIRL
FACING CHALLENGES IN A HIGH-RISK WORLD
By Natalee Runyan | Staff Writer
Going on a cruise, going to the beach, going to a national park; my favorite destinations have become unsafe with the state the world is in. Recent news headlines scare today’s youth, plaguing them with fears of the unknown. Cases such as Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Amy Bradley, the Devil’s Den murders and countless more have gained attention over the past few years for their brutal stories.
As a senior about to enter into the real world, I ask myself: how can I stay safe? Going into college, the Moscow murders immediately pop into my mind. Four students were savagely killed in their own home in the middle of the night with no connection to their killer. The thought of being in a different state during my college years brings floods of fear. With no family or long-time friends around, how am I supposed to feel safe and comfortable?
Recently, I have been planning a senior trip with some of my friends. Every place I look at, the first things that I see are the horror stories. Trafficking in the airports, foreign police forces and unknown cities all have underlying dangers. Cruise ships are constantly making the news with their emergency evacuations, missing cases and sexual abuse. A peaceful backpacking trip in the mountains would include more taking caution than taking in the sights. Roadtrippers beware: Kansas lies right in the middle of the biggest interstate intersection, that of 70 and 35, which makes it a human trafficking hotspot, according to justice.gov. Stay out of gas stations at night, don’t wave down a stranger for help and don’t pull over to sleep in your car. What should be a fun summer can turn into a death sentence if I dare leave the suburbs.
Danger lurks throughout our city, in our neighborhoods and just about wherever we go. In the past few years, we have had mall shootings, an increase in sexual trafficking (according to the Wichita Eagle) and notorious killers that have haunted Wichita. The most popular walking trail that goes through Wichita and Andover, has more than one hundred visitors daily, according to the Andover Augusta Rail Trail Initiative. When walking through the local parks and trails, you still need to keep your head up. KAKE featured a woman’s story who was mauled by two dogs, tearing a chunk out of her left and right arms, hands and face.The past summer, Marianna Christian’s body was found in Cottonwood Park after being murdered. Kansas is a wonderful place to live, but nowhere is completely safe anymore.
Life is meant to be lived without fear, but that doesn’t mean you should disregard safety in order to have fun. As young adults we need to watch out for ourselves and those around us. Consider keeping pepper spray on your key ring, doing extra research when making travel plans and never traveling alone.