Stay Safe

It seems over the past two decades such importance has been placed on Health and Safety issues that some may say we are at threat of being accused of wrapping our children in cotton wool and shielding them from the harsh realities of life. Such is the potential threat of a lawsuit resulting from an accident, against local councils and businesses, many are just not prepared to take the risk of creating a play area where children may fall and hurt themselves. 

But isn’t that a fundamental part of growing up?  Falling down only to pick oneself up again?  On the other hand as a parent there is a natural instinct to want to protect our children; to keep them out of harm’s way. Yet children need to learn to feel confident. So, parents have a delicate job to maintain the balance between independence and protection, which can be reinforced using basic safety tips. Children at primary school are at a perfect age to seriously absorb the importance of being cautious around roads, or understand how to act if approached by strangers and what to do when surfing the internet. So, as parents, what can we do to help? 

Safety near the roads

Research by the Department of Transport found that most children mirrored their parents' behaviour, good or bad, around the roads. This may have contributed to the shocking statistic showing that almost 23,000 children aged under 16 were hurt in road accidents on UK roads in 2008. Tragically, 131 of these children were killed and a further 2,777 were injured seriously enough for them to be admitted to hospital. The 'Copycat' campaign was developed to encourage parents to become more involved in road safety training and to make them aware of how they can set a good example when it comes to using our roads safely. At www.dft.gov.uk/think/education,  there is a section aimed at parents of 3 to 11 year olds, focussing on The Green Cross Code, road safety matters, cycling safely and the importance of wearing high visibility clothing around the roads.  A separate website aimed directly at children - www.talesoftheroad.direct.gov.uk/hedgehogs - features the delightfully cute road-cautious hedgehogs. The site displays a number of games and activities that really engage the children’s attention to learn about road safety without the formality of a safety lecture.

Spotlight on personal safety

Perhaps the greatest fear for any parent is to discover that their child is missing.  It really is a thought that induces palpitations and raw, heart-dropping fear.  Thankfully, with the majority of incidents, the children have just explored a little too far or have drifted off in their own little world, but basic common sense instructions can be given to even the youngest primary school aged child to protect their personal safety:

• Tell your child that if they are lost they should go into the nearest busy shop and ask the shop assistant for help, or approach a police officer or woman with children. If you are at a play area, tell them to meet you at a special point should they get lost.
• Help your child to learn your mobile and landline numbers off by heart. If they get lost they can contact you. Or write your number on a card and attach it to their coat or bag.
• Make solid arrangements about school pick-ups. Explain to your child to go back into school if you are ever running late and not to go home with anyone without your prior permission.
• Tell them never to take short cuts through quiet areas on their own.
• Teach them to walk facing the traffic so they are more visible and a car can't pull up behind them
• Teach them to know how and when to use 999

These six tips are helpful in ensuring your child is more responsible for their own safety. Don’t try teaching them all these things at once. They won’t remember them all and you’ll also risk giving the impression that life is more dangerous than it really is.

Surfing safely

Increasingly, children are accessing the internet using a wide range of resources whether it’s a computer, laptop, mobile phone or games console.  This makes it vitally important to educate them in self-protection whilst on the web.  The informative website www.thinkuknow.co.uk, run by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) provides tools to explain to children of different age groups how to stay in control online in a non-dramatic and fun way.  There are 3 categories aimed at youngsters aged 5 to 7, 8 to 10, 11 to 16 and there is a separate section for parents too. Each section encourages the children to be in control, not to give out any personal information, not to open attachments or files from people they don’t know and certainly not to meet people they meet online without a parent present. The site also stresses the importance of keeping the communication open with parents, especially if a child sees something that makes him or her feel uncomfortable.Parents can also clue up with GetNetWise, a public service created to help ensure families surf safely - go to www.getnetwise.org.  

Many mobile phones also enable internet access, so it is worth buying a handset with filtering software included, in order to ensure children can't access inappropriate websites.  Do warn your child that any image they send on their mobile can be changed and shared online.

Protection from cyber-bullying

Like a virus, it seems the age-old ugly trait of bullying has remoulded itself to keep afresh with the 21st century and has hit the ‘cyber’ generation bringing with it a whole new dimension. So it’s worth noting that some primary school aged children may be exposed to cyber bullying or social cruelty via email, instant messaging, on a website or gaming site, or via a text message.  You can reduce exposure to cyber bullying by setting up guidelines for internet use, and by encouraging your child to talk to you about anything that may be upsetting to them. If your child is victim to cyber-bullying, tell them not to reply to the messages.  Instead create a separate file where you can move the (hopefully unread) messages to use as evidence, should you need them. If the attacks are getting offensive, threatening or deeply personal you can inform your local police. You may also wish to change your child’s mobile number or open a new email account for them.

You will be able to find out more about cyber bullying and bullying in general at this year's Anti-Bullying Week that will take place from the 15th to the 19th November. The theme this year is Taking Action Together. For more information take a look at www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk.

Kirsty Woodgate