I work with early college students and have one myself (my CP started college classes at 12 and will be living on campus next fall at 16). Honestly, most college students are, if anything, protective of the younger students, and many of our girls have reported LESS inappropriate comments, conduct, etc than they experienced in high school.
Having said that, a big thing that we drill into our kids’ heads when they start the program is that they are not legally at the same point. They cannot consent even if they really like the other person and are attracted to them and feel it is mutual. Therefore, it is important for them to draw that line from the start. We set down rules on group chats, group meetings, etc-and provide adults who can be looped in and supervise, and incentives that make it palatable for the college students to be willing to meet their study group in the EC suite (copiers, internet access, large supplies of school and craft supplies, specialized tech, and a filled snack basket and fridge helps a lot). Most schools that have residential EC have special dorms just for those students and other students cannot be allowed in, and EC students are not allowed in other dorms, and usually the minimum age is 16 to live on campus. And they usually have an adult house parent, not a barely adult RA. We provide the academic access, but we keep in mind that our students are kids.
We also drill into our kids heads that if they are in a place where alcohol is present, even if they are not drinking, their presence can cause problems legally for the adult students present. If they are drinking, and the police show up, well, fraternity houses have been shut down for less. So it is their responsibility to stay out of/leave such situations not just for their own protection but that of others. The Greek houses and similar organizations are given a similar message. Basically, you can be friends with the younger students, but you don't do anything with them that you w9uldn't do with your little brother or sister. If Mom wouldn't approve, don't do it with the teens-do it with your similar age friends.
We also really, really try to place at least two kids in each class/group so they have someone to spend time with that has the same restrictions.
This is something I see lacking in the Cheer world. Talented kids deserve to be on a team at their level, just like our kids who have exhausted high school classes deserve multivariate calculus or whatever. But there needs to be an awareness that these kids are still kids and cannot be social peers of their teammates, and supervision provided accordingly. For senior teams, that means superseniors have to accept being treated as high school kids one more year. For open teams, it means that the 14 yr old flyer isn't going to be hanging out and partying with their teammates-and that there shouldn't be just one high school age kid on a given team.
Does this protect from everything? Absolutely not, especially with social media in the loop. But it does help.