Following is a summary of the main points discussed in the session "Staying Safe Abroad" at Northwestern's pre-departure orientation. If you have further questions, please contact the Study Abroad Office (847-467-6400).

Summary of Main Points

Introduction

• It is important to to develop strategies for staying safe before you leave.
  
• While it is generally no more dangerous abroad than it is here in Evanston/Chicago, it is more dangerous for you because you are in an unfamiliar environment. This means that you are not familiar with the culture, customs, norms, and sometimes the language of the place where you're living--and therefore do not necessarily know what or where is "safe" and what or where is "unsafe." In other words, you can no longer use your "common sense" to get a feel for what kind of situation you're in and how you might deal with it.
  
• The most dangerous situations that study abroad students usually encounter do not have to do with the big political problems that we hear about in the U.S. news--for example, embassy bombings or political terrorism--but rather have to do with the realities of everyday life. In fact, the biggest cause of accidents and death or injury for study abroad students is vehicular accidents, in cars, buses, and motorcycles.
  
• With these points in mind, you need to be as prepared as you possibly can be, by developing strategies to help you do two things: 1) to understand your surroundings and avoid unsafe situations and places, and 2) to get out of unsafe situations if you find yourself in them.
  
  Developing Strategies for Staying Safe
  There are four things that you can think about to develop your own, personal strategies for staying safe while abroad. They involve understanding culture and politics, understanding yourself, and trying to fit in, i.e., not look like a tourist.
  
  
  1. Understand the cultural and political environments of the countries you're going to.
     You will be living in the midst of these environments, which means that you must understand what they are, where you fit into them--as an American, a student, a male/female, etc.--and how others will view you and your behavior within the context of these environments.
     Questions for thought:
     
     • How are U.S. Americans generally seen by host nationals? What are the stereotypes/general sentiments? How should this affect your behavior?
     • What are people's attitudes in these countries about gender relations, race, sexuality, etc.? How are these attitudes reflected in the host country's laws?
     • What are your own stereotypes/views of the people in the country where you're going? Are they accurate? How will they affect your behavior?
     
     
  2. Think about what you like to do in daily life here that you plan to continue doing while living abroad. Then come up with some strategies for how to go about doing these things in the foreign country where you'll be living, including how to modify your own behavior, if necessary.
     Questions for thought:
     
     • Is there something that you do every day, e.g., go jogging or stay at the library until late at night?
     • What do you tend to do on weekends? How often do you go out at night, and what time do you usually come home?
     • What should you think about/research/check into before doing these same things abroad? Is there anything you do here that you perhaps shouldn't do in the country where you're going?
     
     
  3. Figure out what you can do to BLEND IN so that you're not targeted as a tourist.
     Questions for thought:
     
     • What behaviors would identify you as a "tourist"? How can you avoid acting like a tourist abroad?
     • What will be "firsts" for you, e.g., taking a long train trip alone, eating alone in a restaurant, reading a map in a foreign language, etc.?
     • How can you prepare for these situations, before you leave for abroad, so that you understand how to handle them without standing out or looking like you're uncomfortable and don't know what you're doing? If possible, try rehearsing these things here before you leave for abroad so that you can figure out how to do them in a comfortable manner, without looking like you have no idea what you're doing.
     
     
  4. Identify your instincts, and learn to pay attention to them and trust them.
     Questions for thought:
     
     • What types of specific situations make you feel uncomfortable or just feel out of the ordinary?
     • Are you worried about encountering any specific unsafe or uncomfortable situations abroad? If so, what are they?
     • How do you know, physically , mentally, and emotionally, when you feel uncomfortable? For example, does your heart start to beat quickly? Do you start perspiring? What tips you off to the fact that "something's not right"?
     • What do you do if you feel like you're getting into one of these situations, or if you're already in one?
       

      

  Conclusion
  The goal of this session has not been to scare you or to make you nervous about going abroad. Rather, we want you to go abroad CONSCIOUS and AWARE, and to develop the tools you'll need to have an enjoyable and safe study abroad experience.
  
  We hope that you will work on developing your own, personal safety strategies to take with you abroad. We want to conclude by reminding you that even though we always encourage students to immerse themselves in the foreign cultures where they'll be living, the important thing regarding safety is to always TRUST YOURSELF. If you are in a situation that feels unsafe, that is not the time to learn about cultural differences--rather, get yourself out of that situation.

  Have a wonderful time abroad, and stay safe! If you have further questions, please contact us at the Study Abroad Office (847-467-6400).

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