Photo by Tatiana Syrikova
Every good parent worries about their child’s safety. With so many scary things happening in the world, it can be a little difficult finding some peace of mind when our children are out of our sight. There are school shootings to worry about, gang violence, drugs, unfortunate accidents and so many other tragedies that lurk in the shadows. But instead of being in perpetual fear, parents can do their best to teach their children how to safeguard themselves as best as they can. Talking to a child about personal safety is important. And it can be done without scaring your child into never wanting to leave the house.
Situational Awareness
It’s not enough to just warn children of stranger danger, parents also have to talk strategy and what to do if they find themselves in a situation. The proper response can be the difference between going home and an unfortunate incident. Instead of simply telling your children to stay away from strangers, it is also necessary to teach them what to do in certain situations. For instance, if someone tries to abduct them, instead of yelling, “Help,” it may be more advantageous to shout, “You’re not my mother/father,” while fighting and kicking. It might be a good idea to find skilled child trafficking organizations to donate to once a year to help put your anxiety to rest, knowing that you’re doing something to also keep other children safe.
Familiar Abusers
Far too often the ones who victimize our children are not strangers. Predators can be family friends, caretakers, family members and trusted members of the community. The approach taken with abusers who are familiar will likely need to be different than the approach to an unknown attacker. Making sure that your children know that they can talk to you about anything is crucial. It also helps to empower them with the ability to say no to an adult or authority figure if they’re feeling uncomfortable. When they know that there are no “secrets” between adults and children and that there are areas of their bodies that are private unto themselves. When they understand their rights as an individual, they are far less easy targets for victimizers. They know how to assert themselves, and should a situation escalate, they will have the language to tell you what happened so that you can act accordingly in their best interest.
Internet Safety
In today’s climate, Internet safety cannot be ignored. Teach children not to share their personal information online and never to arrange in-person meetings with people they meet online. Passwords need to be secure and should never be shared with anyone. The Internet is an amazing place, and it’s full of information and entertainment and a whole lot more. But at a young age, there need to be boundaries and rules in place to make the Internet less scary.
Children should be free to explore their environments without fear, but that’s not always in their best interest. The more you communicate with your children and those who are in your care, the better equipped they will be if trouble comes to them. The best way to talk to your child about personal safety is to just talk. There’s no need to try to make them fearful, you just want to make them aware and prepare them for potential trouble.
