Hostel Owner Legal issues? Anybody got 'em?

So, I was recently talking to this professor/lawyer guy and he says that if I start a hostel it's important to realize all the stuff that can go wrong. I'm not open yet, but it really got me thinking about, well, everything that could go wrong. I couldn't sleep the night of our conversation.

He told me that a prevalent problematic situations include: Thievery, vandalism, assault and battery, and the scariest being rape.

I've stayed at hostels around the world, and I've had my share of strange people and situations, but I was never scared of staying in one because of the fear of unstable people. I could share many anecdotes of interactions, but I would rather just get to the point. What does a hostel owner do to protect their patrons from experiencing extreme situations such as those listed above?

I believe that a hostel should be as safe and comfortable of an environment as possible and hostel owners should seek to make it so. I believe (and so do the courts) that hostel owners are responsible for their guests. That means that we are responsible not only for those that are causing unpleasant situations, but also for the people that are affected by those situations.

My first idea would be to have as many unobtrusive security cameras installed. Secondly, wouldn't it make sense that the nicer I make the place, the less likely people are going to do stupid things. I doubt that somehow, but does anybody have any input?

I'm asking anybody with any ideas. Hostel owners with experience in such issues would be most helpful. Thanks a million,
gvhostel_2018