Study overseas can be the adventure of a lifetime, and the majority of these experiences are healthy and safe. But, unless some simple precautions are taken, a young person living without a parent in a foreign country can encounter cultural disorientation and real, physical dangers. While auto and motorcycle accidents are a primary cause for concern, there are a host of other factors that need to be considered, preferably, well in advance of a students departure.
There are the familiar risks of unsafe sex and illegal drugs. No different from home, you say? Traveling students and their parents often dont realize how cultural and legal differences can enhance these risk factors. Simply put, what is safe or tolerated behavior in the United States can be interpreted quite differently in a foreign country.
In a strange place with new rules, even responsible teenagers may occasionally lose their heads and take chances that they wouldnt normally take, like traveling unaccompanied to a strange country, not telling anyone where they are, or buying or selling on the black market. As a result, young travelers can easily find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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