Student Safety Safety of the students participating in the IDEV Intersession Field Practicum 2010 – El Salvador is the top priority for the trip. The principal risk to students comes from delincuencia, or violent crime, sometimes gang related, which is a problem in San Salvador and in moderate sized cities in El Salvador. Qualitative evidence of this threat exists in the popularity of mano-dura, or 'strong-arm', public policies against offenders. Delincuencia can take several forms, ranging from individual mugging to group robberies on public transportation. Nighttime road travel outside of cities in private vehicles is susceptible to carjacking and intercity bus travel in general is susceptible to group robbery. Nighttime trips to or overnight stays at the beach are particularly risky activities in El Salvador. While kidnapping for ransom has been a problem in El Salvador, foreigners are not usually targeted. See also 'Safety and Security' and 'Crime' sections on the State Department's El Salvador travel webpage. Responding to this set of safety risks, several policies will be employed: - All group travel outside of San Salvador will be accomplished during the daylight, often leaving early in the morning and arriving to destinations at dusk.
- Independent nighttime travel by students will be permitted only in San Salvador after an orientation to permitted and prohibited zones of the city and an orientation to public transportation.
- Nighttime or overnight trips to the beach will be strictly prohibited.
On a second front, students will be lodged at hotels already identified by the student coordinator during his trip to El Salvador in July 2009. For travels within and outside San Salvador, the entire group will be transported by a well-known local transportation company. The group will have a mandatory safety and logistics meeting in December 2009 to review safety procedures, travel logistics and to review the revised day by day agenda for the visit. | 
