Aggregated safety data

PSA advocates for open access safety data from the study abroad industry.

With open access safety data, collected from all programs, academic researchers can pool such information. This process is called “aggregation.”

Aggregated data is the strongest kind of data. It gathers information from many geographic regions across many years. This kind of data can then be used to clarify relationships between particular variables and outcomes.

Examples of questions that might be asked and answered include: What is the relationship between death by drowning and a student’s gender? What is the relationship between fatal falls and a student’s age? Are certain countries linked to particular types of death? What is the relationship between student death and instructor supervision? What is the relationship between student death and seasons of the year? 

Understanding such relationships is what allows for science-based program improvements, including authentic prevention strategies.