Studying abroad in the US is more dangerous than most European cities

In the wake of Thursday’s terrorist attack on a Bastille Day fireworks celebration in Nice, fear is on the minds of those traveling abroad, and our thought and prayers are with everyone affected by this horrible tragedy.

As of late, there have been many headlines in the news reflecting poorly on the safety of European cities, and implementing fear in the minds of those set to travel in the coming months.

As you may have heard as well, as a result of recent buzz in the news, 19 year old student from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Beau Solomon, went missing for several days while studying abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, before being found dead in the Tiber River.

None of this is comforting news for students thinking of studying abroad, or already set with plans to go this upcoming academic year.

I myself will be studying at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy this coming Fall. With enough worries about visas, housing, and course selection, news about this student’s death only increased my apprehension about traveling to a foreign country for the first time by myself.

I found myself buying anti-theft devices to store cash and credit cards for fear of being pick-pocketed, and my mom continuously asks whether I am sure I still want to go, reassuring me that it isn’t too late to change my mind.

However, despite all of the news and media hype surrounding this particular incident, the reality is that compared to the United States, traveling abroad in many European countries is a lot less dangerous than you would think.

According to Nation Master, the United States has overall, 15 percent more crime than Italy. Four times more rape. Seven times more violent crime. 20 percent more robberies. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.87, whereas it is 4.7 in the United States. Murder is 25 times more likely in the United States.

While these statistics are just a comparison for Italy versus the United States, other popular study abroad destinations such as Spain, France, and London pale in comparison to the United States when it comes to crime.

The United States has 13 percent more total crime than Spain, 3 times more than France, and a whopping 82 percent more than the United Kingdom as a whole. While pick-pocketing and ATM Fraud may be a common problem, major cases such as rape, murder and other violent crime is not.

Take New York City for example. As of 2016, there have been 1,153 transit incidents, 39,221 petit larceny incidents, and 20,857 misdemeanor assault incidents.

As of 2015, NYC isn’t even on the top list for Violent Crime Rates for American Cities with more than 250,000 people. According to a CBS Chicago article that uses the FBI’s Violent Crime Statistics, the cities topping that list include Detroit, Michigan, Memphis, Tennessee, and Oakland, California.

 

Besides the fact that foreign cities are a lot less dangerous than they may seem, there are many other benefits to studying abroad. As a student studying business, it is important to me to have a global perspective on the world and what is going on in different economies and global markets as a whole.

Studying at Bocconi University will enhance my education as a business student. Based on a study done by UC Merced, studying abroad has a major positive impact on college graduates.

Just a few of the benefits among many including increasing the chances of finding employment within 12 months of graduation, higher starting salaries, enabling young adults to better adapt to diverse work environments, and building valuable skills for the job market.

So when confronting anxiety and nervousness about studying abroad, put things into perspective. While a recent news article about your foreign destination may leave you rattled, take into consideration that in most cases, articles like these only pop up seldom over the span of many years.

Millions of students flock to the United States as international students or study abroad students every year, and the crime rate here exceeds that in most European countries in great volumes!