Crime alert flyers were posted everywhere on UNF’s campus over the weekend. The notice said an attempted robbery took place in a dormitory parking lot in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Several hours later, a second notice was released saying the alleged victim admitted to making up the incident.
This isn't the first instance of students filing false police reports on campus. According to UNF police, four false reports were filed between 2011 and 2012. Three of those reports claimed robbery, and the other claimed sexual battery.
Filing a false police report is a misdemeanor, but students who make up crimes at UNF aren’t always charged.
Once police determine the report is false, the case is passed on to the school's division of student affairs, where each case is handled individually.
UNF spokesperson Sharon Ashton said in an email that the university tries to get to the real issue at hand to determine what prompted the person to file a false report.
Denise Marzullo, president and CEO of Mental Health America of Northeast Florida, said stress could be a reason why students claim to be victims of made up crimes.
According to Marzullo, everyone, not just college students, should take steps to lower stress.
"Taking a bubble bath, reading a book, kind of taking some time to take care of yourself is really really really critical," she said.
UNF’s Ashton says college is a huge life transition for young people, and when possible the university tries to make filing a false report a learning experience for the student, instead of a permanent mark on their record.
Saturday was the only false report at UNF thus far this year.
