Sometimes, growing up as a female is tough. We always have to watch our surroundings because you never know who or what can be watching from afar. Especially if they are below the age of 18, women’s lives are more at risk than men. Whether it is right here in a classroom or outside during a day off, women are not always completely safe.

Everyday of every hour, women are paranoid to the point where they might have to look over their shoulder. 

According to TheDeliverFund.org, in a study about human trafficking in the US, “Between 15,000 to 50,000 women and girls are being trafficked in the United States each year.” 

UACHS history teacher, Samantha Minor, talks about how her perception of safety has changed throughout the years in Jersey City.

“It is just the time now. I feel like women are more and more unsafe in our society today,” said Minor. “I do not know if it is because of a change in morals in our society.”

As a young woman I do not know if it is a moral issue in our society, but I do know that while some people feel that there is safety in numbers, sometimes there is also a danger to being surrounded by so many people.

As a Jersey City resident, I realize the perks and challenges to living in a big city. Most of the time, it is presented as a safe and amazing place to live, but compared to someone who has lived here all their life, it’s not all as glorious as it seems.

When you do a google search about Jersey City in general it seems that it is a safe place to live especially for women, but the reality is that what we see beyond downtown Jersey City tells the real story of Jersey City. The one where things are not as safe as former New York residents make you think.

Even though night life is live, the sirens still wail in the middle of the night and the creeps lurk around past late hours. While living in the city, it is important to remember that the most unexpected person can do the unexpected thing, so as women, we should never stay oblivious to our surroundings.