Abstract
This study investigates the nature and effects of crime experienced by social work students at a previously disadvantaged rural South African university. Drawing on cognitive behavioural theory (CBT), the research examines how victimisation shapes students’ experiences and well-being. The study was guided by an interpretivist research paradigm and adopted an exploratory qualitative research design. The target population was third-year social work students who had experienced victimisation at the previously disadvantaged rural university, and a purposive sampling technique was employed to select ten participants who had experienced crime. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis approach. The findings reveal that the most prevalent forms of campus crime include theft and gender-based violence (GBV), both of which have significant psychological and relational consequences for survivors. The study found that campus crime undermines student well-being, erodes trust, and disrupts social stability. It concludes that existing institutional safety strategies are inadequate and often fail to provide sufficient support to survivors. The study recommends the development of trauma-informed mental health services, the strengthening of inclusive security frameworks, and the implementation of survivor-centred policies within higher education institutions.