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This month I am going to give you some helpful hints and
advice on keeping young children safe when they are out and
about and at home. Statistics show that crime against young
children by strangers is rare but all children can be vulnerable
sometimes. As a parent it is only natural to worry about their
safety. If you are worried, you can help to protect your young
children with these common-sense tips.
Stranger Danger - Strangers can be confusing for children,
especially when a stranger talks to a parent of a child. Tell
your child that the only time a child should talk to a stranger
is when he or she is in trouble and needs help. Children should
only seek out a stranger's help when they are lost, hurt or
are trying to get away from someone who is hurting them. Make
sure your child realises that strangers look like everyone
else - they don't look like a wild monster or strange creature
- meaning your child will not be able to judge a nice stranger
from a stranger bent on harming them.
Home Phone Safety - When children are home alone and
they answer the phone, they are never to state that they are
home alone. Teach your child to say that the parent is unavailable,
to take a message and then hang up. Children should also be
taught never to give out any personal information, no matter
who is calling. That should be left for the parent to decide
on.
Answering the Door - For those children who spend
some time at home alone, answering the front door can be extremely
important. When alone, a child should never answer the door.
Even if it's a friend or relative of the family, if that person
has arrived unexpectedly, it's better not to let them in.
Statistics show that abductors of children are usually someone
the child already knows. Children also need to be taught that
even though the parent is home, it's still important for the
child to get the parent before answering the door.
Getting Lost - It's always good to know where your
child is but sometimes that can be out of our control. Make
sure that your child always has money for a phone call. If
your child gets separated from you in a shop or shopping centre,
teach your child to go to the help desk or approach a security
officer to get help in finding you again. Make sure that your
child knows his full name, address and phone number. Explain
to your children the importance of always telling you where
they are going and for how long they will be gone.
Look out for next month's issue for tips on how to
keep your teenagers safe!
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