#‘wait really?? you sure it’s not Paraguay and you were just raised around Canada and like Mexico?’

[worstloki]

Asking someone if they’re American and when they get all coy like how’d you know was it the accent I say yeah the accent sounds very Paraguayan

[roadscholarsglobal-blog]

Is Worldschooling Dangerous?

Worldschooling is a term that refers to families that travel both full-time and part-time as part of their children's education, as opposed to staying in their home country and attending a traditional school. Think "unschooling adventurers". Worldschooling is on the rise with more families from the UK, US ,Canada and India deciding to pack in the daily grind for a family sabbatical or bringing their jobs on the road with them. In this age of technology, more than ever, people are able to work remotely. These professionals are also appropriately called "digital nomads".

 Adventure, family time, education, culture...what could be better? But...Is it safe?

This is the question most worldschooling families are asked time and time again; Most likely from well-meaning, older relatives. This question is usually answered with the brush-off answer of " No more dangerous than the U.S. ( home country); but is that  statement actually the definitive truth?

What about the risk of having one of your children kidnapped and sold into sex slavery in an unnamed country? What are the actual stats on that and which countries are legitimate threats? How about food poisoning?  Is Mexico still guilty of sending a large portion of it's visitors home with Montezuma's Revenge or has there been a decline in illness over the past years? Which other countries should travelers be extra vigilant when eating and drinking?  A large portion of worldschoolers are Christians. Christian news is reporting that more Christians are being murdered abroad for their faith than ever before. Is this true? If so, which countries are best to stay clear of? Is this a good time in history to be carting our children around the globe or is it safe and reckless? Is it really safer just to stay home?

Let us look at all of these topics individually , as well as listing the safest and most dangerous places to take your family and why.

Crime Stats of Countries Per Capita:

According to numbeo.com, for the year 2016, The United States was listed as # 53 safest country out of 125 countries.  United Kingdom was #70 and Canada was #78. There were a few surprises on the list. Venezuela was voted as #125; the most dangerous country. Russia is #59, with a better ranking than Sweden and the US. Saudi Arabia is #113 as far as crime reports go, but if you are a Christian, this country is unanimously more dangerous for you. Israel, with many travel warnings, is #103 on the list. The safest country on the list? Qutar. ( where??? ) Second is Singapore.

Many worldschoolers travel to Costa Rica every year and many actually move there and become expats. It's ranking stands at an uncomfortable #30. Mexico and Thailand, two other very popular treks for worldschoolers sit close on the list at #45 and #47. India is 16 points safer than the US at #66. With the tremendous amount of people in their country, that is an incredible statistic.

If American Worldschoolers are to say that their children are probably in just as much/or more danger at home in the states, than abroad , it would be important to note which state the family calls home and which country abroad the family is planning on traveling.

If you are from the states mentioned, the information may not surprise you, but for others, you may find it interesting to know that Alaska  has a notably high violent crime rate of 635.8 per 100,000 people. Rhode Island was an unexpected on the list, as you can barely see it on the map along with other sure things including Florida, New Mexico, New York, and Tennessee. Virginia, Vermont , Maine and New Hampshire are some of the top safest states. Most of those are no surprise. What position does ever-popular California stand? #17. Hawaii? #38. Take a look at these charts and build your arguments in kind and with authority.

To be fair, those statistics are only looking at violent crime, what are other dangers to worldschooling families, such as illness and non-violent crimes, such as kidnapping?

Kidnaps are committed for a number of reasons, chiefly financial. Predominantly, kidnaps do not happen to children, at all, but to adults and for those that are; the majority are over custody disputes. It is not only your children that need to be protected, but also yourself and your husband.

Most commonly kidnapping is robbery. ATM kidnapping is one of the most occurring types of kidnapping. In this crime, a person is taken against their will and forced to an ATM machine to empty their bank account and then returned. Mexico is the country with the highest number of kidnaps and the kidnappers are unfortunately known to be violent. Of 1,583 kidnap cases, 935 ended in death. India has the highest growth rate of abductions than any other country. Uttar Pradesh has one of the greatest numbers of kidnaps in India. It is no coincidence that the two main tourist attractions in India are also located there. Poverty and organized crime are sighted as responsible factors for this area of crime growth in this particular area.

Although not all of Venezuela is considered rife with danger, by all accounts, tourists are strongly recommended to stay out of Caracas. Not only is it presently the murder capital of the entire planet, there are over a thousand kidnappings every year. Poverty and lawlessness are the short answer reasons for this statistic. Lebanon and Syria are on the list , but they are not particularly a favorite spot for family travelers. Neither are Colombia and Brazil, also included on the list.

What about the Philippines? The amount of abductions in this preferred worldschooling destination continue to escalate in the favored southern tip. The one positive here is that victims are usually returned unharmed after the crime, albeit broke. If your family enjoys boating or yachting, be extra watchful. Pirating is also a danger here.

Again, we are not saying do not go to these places. These are objective facts. As a group,  education is important to us and we know ... knowledge is power! Plan accordingly.

So now that we have gone over kidnapping.... you may be wondering ... " What about Thailand and getting sold onto the black market there?" Yes. Sadly, in many countries underage prostitution is an issue and some of the girls may be kidnapped, but most of the girls are not foreign, but local.

Crime based dangers, as before mentioned are not the only dangers for worldschoolers.

Which countries are you most likely to get sick in?

 Yahoo and the Daily Mail, of 2,000 people surveyed ( mostly Brits) the top countries to get food poisoning surprised me. Nope. Not Mexico or India ( India was on the list. Mexico was not!) Unbelievably, Spain topped the list, with 30% of people surveyed claiming they became unwell after eating here. Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and France all hover around 12-15%. France? Really?? This may agitate some, but it is reported that the food quality in France has gone down over the past years in a very drastic way. Yikes! Seafood and Shellfish are the supposed reasons for the staggering statistic.

The safest countries to eat abroad include most of North America and Europe. Regardless of the stats from some of these articles ( which I tend to raise an eyebrow at) Mexico , is still in fact one of the most dangerous places to eat. Many Latin American countries including Paraguay and Bolivia were deemed dangerous by travelers. Closely followed by India and Greece. Your personal travel experience may have you either agreeing with this or balking at it completely. I don't know about you, but I was never concerned about France or Spain before. Admittedly, I question these stats. At the same time, I can honestly say that I will be extra careful when eating in these areas. That is never a bad thing!

Gut rot, nor diarrhea is not true food poisoning. True food poisoning will land you in the hospital, being gravely ill. Vietnam and Thailand also top the list. Most  tummy trouble is not only created by unsanitary conditions and unclean water, but also by the ingestion of spices, not normally consumed and general overeating. To stay healthy may be a struggle while traveling to some third world areas, but do yourself a favor and follow these suggestions to drastically improve your chances .

Only eat fruit that can be peeled.

Do not drink tap water or fountain soda.

Avoid ice

Buffets are suspect ( even in five star resorts )

Watch closely how food is handled by street vendors. Only eat food cooked in front of you.

As mosquitoes have literally killed more people than all world wars in total, make sure you are lathering in bug repellant of some kind, on every member of your family to avoid diseases like yellow fever and malaria.

What If Someone In Your Family Does Get Sick?

According to N.Y. Times Health guide, you should hope that you are not in Somalia, Malawi, Angolia and notably... Cambodia. Another recent favorite of worldschooling favorites. Be sure not to be pregnant if you happen to be visiting Sierra Leone or Ethiopia , as these places are statistically named as the worst places to give birth .

Overall, most places in South America and Africa are sighted as having the worst medical systems and lack of professionals, whereas countries such as Sweden and Switzerland are hailed as the best. Do you think the U.S. or Canada should be the best? They both fall short , in comparison to first world medical treatment due to reasons of long waits for care, and in the U.S.'s case... over inflated, sky high prices of services rendered. It is not new news that seeking medical care without insurance here ca

n leave a family bankrupt.

For any family that travels as much as worldshoolers, it is vital to have ample medical coverage for everyone in your family... every single time you travel.

Yes! We are adventurers, there should be no risks taken when it comes to your family's health. Don't forget to thoroughly research the place you are going. Make it fun. Get the entire family involved in researching the different aspects of the place. This way all can be in the know regarding both the lovely aspects and possible dangers of the place.

Another important piece of information to know is the location of your country's embassy. In case of difficulty or trouble , everyone in your family needs to know your safe zone.

In closing, worldschoolers as a group are savvy travellers. We have the experience and education under our belts to lead our families to enriching, educational, and fun locations. It is imperative that we continue to research and stay abreast of the crime rates, political climate, and overall health score of our intended destinations. We must do our best to prevent any illness or unnecessary setbacks, which would threaten to ruin our experience. Sometimes, things happen that are unavoidable. In those (hopefully few cases ) it is best to be prepared with backups, resources, and insurance.

Wherever you choose to go.... be safe, be well, and be informed. Enjoy!!