As a parent it is only natural to feel concern at the thought of your offspring heading off into the sunset with no definite idea where they are actually going or what they’re going to get up to. The most helpful thing we can advise is to ensure your child is as prepared as possible for their trip and they are knowledgeable about how to maximise their personal safety while still allowing them to follow their dreams.

Talk to your child about their trip. Find out where they plan to go and how they are financing it, you need to know whether it is an organised trip with a group or if they are setting off on their own. Ask for a rough plan of the trip and encourage them to let you know of any major changes to the plan once they are underway.

Help them with their travel research if they are happy for you to do so. Sometimes making a few phone calls on their behalf may help ease your mind. Checking small print on an insurance document also often makes more sense to adults than to young travellers.

Find out if your son or daughter has attended any ‘travel safe’ talks at school or college, or been shown any personal safety videos, such as CRF’s "The Time of Your Life"

Discuss what they would do if.... they got their bags stolen; someone tried to attack them; or their friends end up getting drunk every night. Pre-trip discussions like this may not stop them doing things but will hopefully stick in their memories and could be of help if they were to get in a difficult situation.

Agree on the best way to keep in touch with your child while they are away. E-mails are mostly cost effective and great for quick catch ups; for instance, a quick one line email can let you know your child arrived safely in their destination. Travel blogs and networking sites are also a good way to keep up to date with events and recent photos.

Keep copies of all your child’s travel documents at home: e.g. passports, visas, bank details and cards, travel vaccinations and insurance. Having a copy you can fax or email can avoid a lot of confusion and stress if the originals go missing.

Encourage your son or daughter to follow their dreams, while remaining safe wherever they may be in the world.