Indeed, it was this kind of student-on-student crime that led to the founding of Security on Campus. Connie and Howard Cleary launched the group after a brutal act took the life of their daughter Jeanne, a student at Lehigh University.

On April 5, 1986, Jeanne was attacked in her sleep -- in her own dorm room. She was tortured, raped, sodomized and murdered by a lowlife creep, a fellow student Jeanne had never met. A drug and alcohol abuser, the animal gained access to her room by going through three propped-open doors.

It was only after their daughter was so cruelly taken from them that the Clearys learned how widespread campus crime is. So Security on Campus was born. Now, thanks to their efforts, many universities must record and make available crime data about their campuses. Security on Campus also conducts seminars nationwide, in conjunction with the Justice Department, that teach people about campus crime and how to prevent it.

No, this isn’t a panacea. Such information won’t stop all heinous crimes from occurring. Virginia Tech doesn’t have a horrible crime rate -- yet the worst mass murder in U.S. history took place on its lovely campus. If a crazed psycho wants to murder an innocent person, that crazed psycho may well succeed, no matter what precautions we take. Ours is a dangerous, unpredictable world.

But we need to use information to protect our loved ones whenever possible. Every parent with a college-bound student should take advantage of public information regarding the level and nature of crimes in the institutions to which we entrust our sons and daughters.

Jeanne Cleary did not die in vain. Her wonderful parents have given their time, talents, hearts, sorrow and resources to make college campuses safer for all of America’s children, and to help all parents make informed decisions. I urge you to share the Web site of Security on Campus with everyone you know. The service is free -- but it’s worth more than gold.

Rebecca Hagelin has championed the pro-family message in both Washington and around the nation for some twenty years. She is a vice president of The Heritage Foundation ( Heritage.org ) whose vision is to "Create an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish." Her weekly column, "Heart Beat," appears on WorldNetDaily.com and Townhall.com. For more information on Home Invasion visit:  www.homeinvasion.org .