In the Amanda Knox Case, The main take away for me was to. 

1.  Know your rights as a visitor 
2. Learn the language to the best of your ability. 
3. Understand local laws & learn about the political system you have now stepped into. 
4. No matter your age. Be self aware. Be aware of your actions and how they might differ from locals. Be aware of the space you are in and make the most reasonable choices. 

 Why wasn't her university mentioned in the documentaries? The university is partially in fault for allowing a young girl to travel abroad without taking language classes or a politics class.  I truly believe that things would have gone a bit differently if it is a mandatory requirement.  Or the school that hosts abroad students should offer the courses. For example, My first time traveling to Japan was amazing because I took a Japanese course in college.  Regardless of how I did in the course, I still know how to pronounce the words smoothly and articulate myself. I still know the connotation behind certain words.    While I do not blame Amanda for not knowing the language, it's valid to assume that you'll learn when you get over there. Italian is a latin language on paper but if I know anything is that linguistics is far more complex. My maw maw spoke Creole while we were in Paris. Creole is basically the daughter of the French Language. While we were understood, it doesn't mean our words did't rub locals the wrong way.  In order to prevent such desparities,  Learning language and politics needs to be a requirement in all abroad programs unless the person already knows the language.