TRAVEL SAFETY
Clue parents and students in on the young students going missing and being kidnapped in public spaces such as bus depots and airports. We want students to be cautious as they travel alone when going away to visit colleges coming up to May 1 and before making a final decision. Background research on human trafficking and underage sex rings may be needed. I can pay $10/hr for background research.
Between online search engines, admissions fairs, guidebooks, and guidance counselors, there is a plethora of resources where students can learn more about their potential college choices. However, few things can tell you more about a school than a visit to the actual college itself.
All year round, schools offer the opportunity for prospective students to visit, stay with current students, attend classes, and participate in programming tailored specifically for prospective students where they can learn more about the university and gauge whether the school might be a right fit. For students who wish to stay close to home and attend a school in-state, such visits may be easier to plan and an opportunity that, if taken, is a great advantage .
For out of state choices however, travel is often required. While many schools can help provide assistance to mitigate travel costs, there are other important considerations to keep in mind– the most important being safety.
As students across the country board planes, buses, and trains– often alone– to get a slice of college life through tours and visits, it is crucial to be aware of the potential dangers lurking in these travel hubs and educate oneself on how to stay free from harm.
In the spring of 2017, a spotlight was shone on DC as a new social media strategy employed by the city police department created a media frenzy around the number of missing children reports. In efforts to ramp up public awareness around missing persons cases, the DC police department began sending out a series of posts about missing children– many of whom were Black and Latina girls. While many of these cases had been open for months, the spur of posts shared online in such a short amount of time quickly gave the public the impression that the city was experiencing a sudden and dramatic epidemic of missing girls of color. While city officials attempted to quell public concern, the incident did speak to the fact that thousands of kids go missing annually, and almost 40% of them are Black. When one couples those statistics with the fact that stories regarding missing children of color are often given less coverage than those detailing the experiences of White children, it becomes clear that young people, especially teens travelling alone to parts of the country where they are unfamiliar, need to remain on guard.
From New York to Atlanta to Southern California, stories continue to emerge about human traffickers and their ability to lure both young women and men into bondage. However, understanding the risks and potential dangers need not immobilize students and their families from taking the opportunity to visit a prospective college to make a better-informed decision. While the prospect of falling victim to human trafficking is frightening, there are key steps that students can take to make sure that they travel safely as they embark on college visits this year:
Students should remain wary of individuals that they meet while travelling who exhibit any of the following behaviours:
https://www.npr.org/2017/04/01/522284693/the-missing-kids-of-washington-d-c-and-social-media
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/new-york
http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/human-trafficking-growing-problem-in-metro-atlanta
understanding the risks and potential dangers need not immobilize students and their families from taking the opportunity to visit a prospective college to make a better-informed decision. While the prospect of falling victim to human trafficking is frightening, there are key steps that students can take to make sure that they travel safely as they embark on college visits this year:
Watching or staring at you for long periods of time
Taking pictures of you without your consent
Approaching you while you’re alone and asking questions about your age, where you are traveling to/from, where you live, and/or other personal background information
Offering information to you about their background, but telling you stories about themselves that have inconsistencies
Asking if they can use your credit card to make a purchase while waiting in a bus depot or airport in exchange for cash
Making sexual advances without your consent
Someone who offers a (discounted) ride in an unmarked car that does not have an Airport Shuttle, Taxi, Uber, or Lyft logo
If students notice anyone who is exhibiting any of these unusual behaviours, they should alert authorities in the vicinity, or try to sit/stand in a public area next to a larger group of people for the remainder of their wait.
There are also preventative measures that students can take to help them feel less alone and remain connected to their loved one’s from afar. Many phones have a “find your friends” or “share your location” feature. Students should consider allowing a few of their closest friends and/or family members track their phone while they are en route to their college visit so that their loved ones know their whereabouts at all times. Of course, students should also be sure to check in with their families and/or friends upon arrival.
Just as importantly, always travel with a phone charger as an extra safety precaution.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-human-trafficking-20180130-story.html