Give children strategies for safety
You can help your child to have confidence and to know how to keep themselves safe. Speak openly to your child about safety issues, and let them know that:
• they are strong, smart and have the right to be safe
• it’s ok to say ‘No’ if someone tries to touch them or treat them in a way that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable or confused
• it’s more important to get out of a threatening situation than to be polite
• they can tell a parent, caregiver or a trusted adult if they feel scared, uncomfortable or confused
• they should tell and keep on telling till the touching or threatening or bullying stops
• you will believe them if they tell you about an incident when they were harmed or touched or threatened.
If you are in a violent and abusive relationship, your children will have very limited ability to keep themselves safe or to see the above behaviours modelled. Seek advice and assistance.
Take charge of your children’s safety
A parent needs to know where their children are and who they are with at all times. You can also:
• teach small children their name, address and phone number
• train older children to check with you or their caregiver before they go anywhere or get into a car – even with someone they know
• insist that teenagers let you know where they are, for their own safety.
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