The people directly involved with study-abroad students also feel a personal responsibility for the safety of participants. Lazo echoes the feelings of other directors who deal with students and parents on a daily basis. Margolin, too, feels it's critical for parents and students to be able to put their trust in the people who sponsor overseas study. But no matter how trustworthy the study-abroad program and no matter how prepared the students, incidents happen. Dangerous situations break out unexpectedly.
Communication is the key to dealing with the problems.
It allows directors to maintain constant contact with students and institutions around the world so they can receive information about conditions abroad and to alert students as to how to handle threatening circumstances. He, like others, constantly checks the State Department advisories that are regularly updated regarding safety and health. The information is so specific that even a rash of robberies hitting people in taxis in a particular location is noted by study-abroad personnel and immediately passed on to students. In many cases, parents learn of a breaking situation before hearing about it on the news because students are warned and are told to call home immediately to alleviate any fears their families might have. There are few places where Americans are warned not to go, and even then there may be study-abroad programs located there.