General Information / Safety

Personal safety is a concern anywhere and at anytime but it does become more of a concern when living abroad. Without being fully aware of one's new surroundings, you may not be aware of new risks associated with your new home and the precautions needed to protect yourself and your property. These concerns vary by location, but in general, the main worries are associated with personal safety, sexual assault, protection of personal property.

One of your first tasks of adjusting to your new home is to become acquainted with new surroundings and the challenges it may present. You should be certain to check with your host family and ICDS program staff to help in your safety assessment of your new home and to get safety tips.

Parties and other social events can be one of the best parts of an experience abroad but they can create difficult situations. An individual needs to be careful that the new independence or choices presented by their new living situation do not lead to negative behavior such as drug or alcohol abuse. These problems often lead to impaired judgment and unsafe behavior. Remain connected to your values & standards that have brought you to where you are today.

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• Let common sense be your guide here. Costa Rica is not especially dangerous, but neither is it completely safe. You, as a foreigner, stick out and thus may be more of a target than others in terms of crime.
• Always be aware of your surroundings; don’t get sucked into the ‘paradise syndrome’.
• Most crime against tourists is non-violent: watch out for pickpockets, muggers, con-men
• Hold onto bags and purses, especially when walking in downtown San José. Don’t leave bags on the ground or on the backs of chairs while in restaurants or bars or unattended on the beach.
• Don’t wear gold jewelry in San José.
• Don’t walk around downtown San José late at night or wear lots of flashy jewelry.
• Be careful when entering and exiting ATMS, especially at night. Lock the door behind you, if the ATM booth has that option.

• Forms of sexual harassment:
• comments, glares, gestures
• unwanted touches
• invitations, sharing of intimate personal matters

Sexual harassment may come from people (mostly men) you know and people (mostly men) you do not know.

Rape and Attempted Rape
Suggestions for your safety

• Be aware of cultural differences, regarding greetings, dress, and body language
• Follow your feelings
• Do not feel guilty for standing your ground
• Have a personal plan in mind
• Contact somebody from your program immediately
• Keep in mind that FOREIGN WOMEN (specially blond white women):
  • Are considered more “desirable”.
  • Are considered wealthy.
  • Are considered more open regarding sex.
  • Are looking for a “Latin lover”.

• “Summer clothing”
• Traveling alone (walking home at night, going to the beach or to a park)

You might be increasing the risk of sexual harassment/ assault.

• Find a safe place
• Find support, call someone you trust
• Contact someone from the Program. This person will help you to decide what to do.

• If you have been raped and you are going to press charges, DO NOT SHOWER to keep physical evidences.
• Keep all clothing or anything else that might be used as evidence.

Contact the police (it helps to go with someone from the Program)

• Use caution when traveling. Keep money, credit cards, etc. in several places instead of just one (but don’t forget where you’ve put them!).
• Keep money and other valuables in hotel safes when available.
• Do not carry your passport. Leave it in a safe place at home. Carry a photocopy of the passport photo page and entrance stamp (or visa). Use money belts when traveling.
• Keep your luggage in sight if in overhead bins (tie bags together or to a pole or something if possible), or even better, in your lap. If your bus stops at a rest stop, do not leave bags unattended on the bus.
• When traveling, let your host family know where you’re going and for how long. That way if anyone from ICDS or your family tries to get in touch, they’ll be able to give clear information. This is also helpful if something happens while you’re gone that will delay your getting back (you’re attacked by monkeys, the volcano erupts, or the road washes out).

• Be alert when going out. Alcohol consumption puts you in an even more vulnerable position than usual.
• Tipping: a 10% service charge is included in restaurant bills. So, don’t feel pressured to tip but feel free to add extra for good service.
• Free drinks? Do not accept drinks from strangers. There have been reports of girls being drugged at bars and then sexually assaulted. If someone offers to buy you a drink, do not accept (sometimes bartenders may be in on it).
• Stay away from CENTRO COMMERCIAL EL PUEBLO after dark. The area has some shops and restaurants, but is most famous for its nightlife. There have recently been several shootings there, and the US Embassy has explicitly told its personnel to stay away – follow their cue.
• Also, stay away from LA CALLE DE LA AMARGURA, in San Pedro. Although it is popular (or once was) among the UCR crowd, it is very dangerous at night.  Plus, it has big rats.
• There are other safer as well as fun places to go out. Ask your host family, Costa Rican friends, etc. Keep in mind that what may be OK for Costa Ricans isn’t necessarily for foreigners. Where Costa Ricans may feel comfortable in a certain place, Americans or others may be targets of scams, crime, and harassment.
• Keep taxi money in a safe place on your person, separate from your other cash. That way no matter what happens (pickpockets or drink specials), you know you can get home.
• Don’t walk home by yourself at night. Have a taxi drop you off directly in front of your house(s), even if it means making several stops.

• Only use registered taxis – they are red and have yellow triangles on them.
• Try not to take a taxi alone.  Travel in small groups.
• Do not ask a taxi driver to take you to or wait for you at an ATM. This is extremely dangerous.
• Make sure someone knows where you’re going (and that the taxi driver knows it). Explicitly tell your friends in Spanish where you are going so that the taxi driver is aware that someone is looking out for you.  If more than one of you is in a taxi, the first person out should again explicitly say that they will wait for the last person’s phone call.
• Call each other when you get home.  Host families won’t mind your making a short phone call, even if it’s late at night.  It is more important to know that everyone’s home safely than to be worried about waking up the dog.  Be waiting by the phone if someone is supposed to call you to minimize disturbance to your family.
• The person doesn’t call? Call them, chance are they just forgot. If no one picks up, then wake your host family (or theirs!) to take further action.
• Try to sit behind the driver, not behind the passenger seat. If the driver attempts to assault you, this makes it much harder.
• Keep taxi windows up, even if it’s hot at night, and doors locked to avoid becoming a target at stop signs and traffic lights.
• Do not leave bags, purses or wallets on the seat next to you.  Keep them out of sight of passersby.

• As noted in the State Department materials, you are subject to the laws of Costa Rica. DO NOT CARRY, SELL, OR USE DRUGS while in the country.
• If you are caught, ICDS, ULatina, and the US or other Embassy WILL NOT be able to help you.

• Tap water is safe to drink in most areas of the country.  Do be careful of well-water in out of the way places
• Know thyself. You will probably have stomach problems (diarrhea, etc). Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to us all. Try to keep track of what foods don’t agree with you and avoid fried foods
• Lots of medicines are available over-the-counter (antibiotics, birth control, etc.). Pharmacists are usually very helpful and knowledgeable.
• However, some host families and pharmacists may have their own ways of doing things.  So, if they want you to drink guava tea and only eat eggs for 2 days and you just want a Tylenol Cold, say so!
• Your best resources are BUG REPELLENT and SUNSCREEN.

• Another aspect in which “paradise syndrome” can have negative consequences.
• Be smart about sex; there is a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS is on the rise among young people here.
• Machismo and other cultural norms may also encourage young people to shun condom use and other safe sex practices. Do not be pressured by this.
• Remember, you are here to make memories, not babies.

The most important thing that you can do to prepare for an emergency is not only to know how to react, but also to let someone know where you are!

In preparation for any personal, national or global emergency, students are provided with emergency contact information during the on-site orientation session, and the same information is available in the reception office of ICDS.

The persons in charge of activating ICDS emergency plans are Dr. Jorge Nowalski and Ms. Bernardita Rodriguez.

Types of emergency events and incidents:

• Travel accidents
• Robbery
• Physical assault, sexual assault or rape
• Disappearance  or kidnapping of a student
• Serious illness, physical or emotional
• Significant accident or injury
• Hospitalization for any reason
• Terrorist threat or attack
• Political/civil unrest that  could affect students’ safety or well being
• Arrest or questioning by the police or other security forces
• Any legal action (lawsuit, deposition, trial, etc.) involving a student
• Weather-related events (earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes)
• Environmental hazards (pollution, water and air contaminants)
• Technical emergencies (communications system failures, power failures)

The following information is intended to help you prevent crises and to help you respond to crises if they occur.

• Keep your program staff and your ICDS emergency contacts well informed of your whereabouts and activities, and provide them with copies of your important travel documents (i.e. passport, visa, plane tickets, traveler checks, and prescriptions, etc)
• Carry your emergency contact information (host family’s & program staff’s) with you at all times.
• Keep a low profile and do not act in ways that call attention to yourself or to your nationality.  Do NOT be drunk in public.
• Report suspicious activities, events, etc. to your host family or the study abroad program staff.
• If a crisis of the nature listed above develops and you are at risk, assure your own well-being first.  Do not endanger your life, or the life of others and get in touch with either your host family or program staff, whichever is closer to provide you with immediate assistance.
• Even before their arrival in Costa Rica, ICDS students are provided with ICDS regular and emergency contact information, including the Academic Director’s and Study Abroad staff’s personal cell phone and home numbers.  Students have a way to get in touch with them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when necessary.
• ICDS keeps a roster of all students and their host homes addresses and phone numbers, as well as a list of passport numbers, expiration dates and location of passport of each student, so they can be located anytime in cases of emergency.
• As an additional resource to be easily located and assisted in  cases of emergency --especially events during which foreigners in general may be at risk—at the beginning of the program ICDS students are required to register at their home country Embassy.  US students may do so online, providing their passport and emergency contact information in Costa Rica.
• Host families are given a list of food/water/emergency supplies to be kept at their homes, and in case of an emergency, specially if it is of a medical nature, the host families are instructed to tend to the student first (taking him/her to a safe place or to the nearest hospital –public or private—as soon as possible), and then notify ICDS so that ICDS may contact the student’s family and the appropriate person at the home university if necessary.
• Students are required to provide ICDS, their host families, or both with their contact information when they travel out of town during weekends.  If they travel abroad during holidays, they should leave their itinerary and contact information with ICDS before leaving.

Any emergency will be dealt with always having the highest concern for the health, safety and well-being of the program participants.

• Remain Calm – Even though hard to achieve under the circumstances, the most important thing you should do if you are the victim of a crime, is to try to remain calm.
•  Do not offer any resistance in cases of mugging, especially if the thieves are armed.  Follow their instructions and hand in everything they ask for.
• Get help as soon as the assailants are gone. 
• Make sure you are physically alright and go to a safe place
• Call or go home as soon as you can
• Ask your host family for any help you may need at the moment, including calling any ICDS staff member for further help or advice
• Call your bank and credit card company to cancel any accounts corresponding to the cards you may have lost in the robbery.  Report a lost or stolen credit/debit card immediately to avoid problems with your card being used by someone else. Remember that you will need to call, not someone else at home in the USA because the operator will ask you for personal information and recent card activity. The following numbers may be used to cancel missing cards.

Visa International:          0 800 011 0030
MasterCard:                    0 800 011 0184
American Express:          0 800 011 0030

• Contact someone from the ICDS Program for additional support and advice as to what to do next.

At the student’s request, ICDS will be glad to coordinate the necessary sessions with ICDS’ Counselor to help the student cope with after effects or possible trauma