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Student Safety Strategies

These suggestions were provided by Northwestern students who recently studied in Barcelona

  • Utilize the “buddy system,” especially at night and when going out to bars and nightclubs
  • Make a plan for “going out” – identify a non-drinker or low-drinker to be “in charge”
  • Employ “bystander intervention” techniques if we see a student in trouble (i.e., someone who has had too much to drink, someone who is being aggressively pursued by a stranger or acquaintance, etc.)
  • Conduct “check-ins” when out at night if consuming alcohol, in order to see if someone is on the road to having too much, then efforts will be made to get them safely back to the dorm
  • Establish a “meeting point” at large public gatherings or venues (bars, nightclubs, festivals, concerts, parks/squares, etc.) so that we are never separated too long
  • Honor a “leave no man or woman behind” code of community responsibility when heading back to the dorm for the night
  • Be mindful of our personal items and not leave our possessions unattended so someone could steal them
  • Minimize any display of valuable items, jewelry, watches, electronic devises, etc.
  • Call our local contact if we get into trouble (because we know there will be no judgment)
  • Share our cell phone numbers with each other
  • Create a Facebook page so we can all stay in touch during and after the program