I'm a security expert - this is what I tell parents before sending a child abroad on holiday |
It is the final day of a training course where I've been helping two 18-year-old girls prepare for their first holiday abroad without their parents.
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They are well aware of the primary risks and absorb the insights and tactics I share with youthful enthusiasm. Soon, they will be inter-railing across Europe to explore different capital cities and cultures. That sense of anticipation is visible in their eyes. For them, this is about adventure, fun, and independence. For their parents, however, it represents a symbolic handing over of responsibility- a period naturally fraught with apprehension.
One mother emphasises several times that this is the first time her daughter has been allowed to travel outside the UK without family. I gently reassure her that I have guided many young people through this exact transition, equipping them to navigate foreign environments safely.
What They Probably Won't Teach In Schools
The training I provide to young people, whether they are preparing for a gap year in an exotic location, backpacking for their summer holidays, or heading to the UK to study, is based on over 20 years in the private security sector, encountering a diverse range of threats and complex scenarios. This is about empowerment, not fear-mongering.
The skills these students learn can be applied for years to come, whether at university or during work-based travel. In the immediate term, it is about helping young people with limited experience outside family holidays to understand real-world risks. There will be individuals and groups out there who do not share the morals and civility they are accustomed to, as well as those with deceptive agendas.
When I meet these young people, I first encourage them to share their perceptions of potential safety scenarios. Once I have a sense of their current level of awareness and........