Today you have the Internet with websites like Youtube. Only one click can make an embarrassing situation public and once it is on the internet it will be there for the rest of your life.
Dr. Phil had a show about how young students must take action in order to prevent that they end up in a bad situation.
But if you search the web, you can find that even ordinary events can have a lifetime impact if the students don't seek to protect themselves in advance.
One of our researchers found a question about privacy of photos taken during school work:
Privacy on photos - How can I be protected? (Yahoo Answers)
For some it might seem odd, but in Denmark voluntary work is not being seen as a postive thing. Labor Unions like FOA are worried that voluntary work can result in large unemployment when work is being for no money.
However as we wrote in an earlier blog-entry the word "community service" is equal a penal conviction in Denmark.
So a photo of a Danish exchange Student in a orange vest with a text diplaying a message of community service will put a stop to a possible future career.
Our advice is to make sure that no photos are taken of the exchange student while abroad or make sure that community service is voluntary in the specific school distric before the student leaves Denmark.