Is Europe Safe?

     After the Occupy Wall Street movement went international I began to wonder whether or not the United States is more or less safe than Europe.

Photo Credit: Global Peace Index 2011

     According to Richard Marcus, the Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies Program, studying abroad is not more dangerous in Europe than in the United States. "In  The 2011 Global Peace Index (a measure of both internal and external security of a country) the U.S. comes in 82nd of 153 countries examined," explained Marcus, "This means that much of the world is a safer place to be than the U.S."
      Professor Marcus stated that through the CSU International Program an orientation and Resident Directors are available for the students to use. He explained that depending on the program the student wishes to go through, and where they plan to study, is a major factor in determining their safety.
     "The importance is to be well informed both about countries. We are fortunate at CSULB  to have a strong network of experts that can help guide students."
     Even with the growing turmoil in the world Professor Marcus explained that for Fall 2011 CSULB actually reached a new high for semester-long study abroad students. Marcus believes that "the isolated places where civil violence is prevalent (for example like in parts of Los Angeles) are more of a threat," and continued to state that, "students are always encouraged to avoid those areas."