It can be worrying when kids start to walk to school alone, and you also may worry about losing sight of your younger child. So that they are aware of potential dangers, it’s vital to educate kids on safety from a young age. While we don’t want to scare our children, we do need to clue them up. Here are some useful tips to keep kids safe:
Talking to children about strangers
Kids used to be told ‘don’t talk to strangers’, however your child may need to should they find themselves separated from you. Instead, talk to them about which strangers can be trusted- for example police, teachers, and neighbours, and who they should approach if they are lost- entering a shop and speaking to the workers there is a good idea.
Being approached by strangers
Your child needs to know how to handle being approached by a stranger. In the first instance, they should go to find a trusted adult or even another parent with kids.
If the stranger asks your child to go with them
Teach your child as soon as they can understand to never walk off with strangers. You can suggest your child shouts, runs away or finds a trusted adult immediately.
Kids don’t need to help adults
If a stranger asked your child to help them find a lost dog, or offers them a treat, would your child know what to do? Teach them to say ‘no’ firmly and run away to find someone safe. Someone who seems friendly should not necessarily be viewed as a safe person.
Trust their instincts
If someone makes your child feel uncomfortable, encourage them to tell you. They may find it difficult to articulate what caused those feelings, but they should be encouraged to trust their instincts.
Their body is off limits
It’s vitally important to teach children that their body is their own. We recommend looking at the NSPCC Pants website which shows adults how to approach talking about avoiding sexual abuse to children in a child-friendly way, through their character Pantosaurus.
Learn important information
Teach your child to memorise how to call 999, their parents’ names and their address.
Responding to an abduction attempt
While abductions are rare, it’s helpful for your child to know what to do should an attempt ever occur. Tell your child to scream and shout as loud as they can.
The Action Against Abduction charity says that there were over 800 incidents of non-parental abduction in the UK last year.
Stay alert
Kids may feel tempted to wander home while listening to music on headphones. However, this can mean they may be unaware of dangers around them which they need to be aware of.
Track their phones
Using an app to track your child’s whereabouts can help ease parent’s concerns. IPhone users can install ‘Find my iPhone’ and link it to their child’s mobile. Android users can download various tracking apps.
