Written by Lotte Lawson, Youth Council Member, October 2024

As someone who is neurodiverse, I like to take my personal safety very seriously! This is because I see the world as a very dangerous place #Laughing face emoji. Following on from the recent Neighbourhood Watch Network social media campaign which focused on safety for students and young people, I will share my tips on how you can keep yourself safe, especially as a neurodiverse person.

E-scooters 

As someone who has no spatial awareness whatsoever, one thing I really do not like are electric scooters/bikes. The number of times I've almost been knocked over on my way to college; the number of times I see them being ridden on a road weaving in and out of traffic like a figure of eight or an old granny’s knitting pattern! It was only the other day that I saw a classmate of mine almost ride their scooter into the path of a double decker bus! But seriously guys? Did you know that they are classed as a “motor vehicle” and, therefore, need to be taxed and insured to be ridden in public? 

Headphones 

Now we all love our music. Whoever invented headphones is an absolute legend! I love being able to shut myself out from the busy world. But is it safe? When you walk down the streets listening to your favourite beats, have you considered what is going on around you? Can you hear if someone is walking behind you? When I get off the bus, my headphones come off. You can't be too careful these days! 

Scams 

I like to think that when it comes to avoiding scams, my reluctance to trust people I don't know actually comes in handy, as I am on high alert. But it is all too easy to be scammed by emails saying your parcel label has rubbed off and you need to pay 50 quid to get it back, especially in the modern world where you have deliveries coming most days. You can also be easily tricked by scammers who pretend to be your mate, texting you saying they have lost their phone and need a tenner!

You can usually spot a scam by looking out for spelling mistakes or odd wording. However, this can be hard for a neurodiverse person, like myself, who is very dyslexic and believes all words they read appear and are spelt right! For us neurodiverse minds, one way you can keep yourself safe from potential scam messages is by NOT clicking on any links before checking if they are safe first (which is hard when you are nosy or curious like me!). It is best to copy and paste the link into a link checker tool to check if it is safe to click on. 

Another safety tip is to contact the organisation that the message claims to be from to confirm whether or not it is legit - although, as a neurodiverse person, I tend to avoid talking to those I don't know. 

One big piece of advice is to never ever let anyone pressure you into giving out your money. Scammers like to target students and request money. But remember, we are students, we are broke! 

As you can see, as someone who is neurodiverse and slightly scared of the world, I am the queen of staying safe and following safety measures. I hope my tips will help you to stay safe.