10 safety tips for children
Richards Bay SAPS Communication Officer Debbie Ferreira offers tips that parents and teachers can share with children on how to protect themselves and stay safe.
In commemoration of Child Protection Week (31 May – 7 June), Richards Bay SAPS Communication Officer Debbie Ferreira offers tips that parents and teachers can share with children on how to protect themselves and stay safe.
1. Know your full name(s), your parents’ names, address and phone numbers.
2. Know the difference between a good secret and a bad secret. A good secret is fun to keep, such as a surprise party. A bad secret feels bad to keep and makes you feel scared.
3. Strangers: never tell strangers your name or where you live.
4. Buddy system: use the buddy system and avoid walking or playing alone outside or in public places.
5. Scream ‘No!’, run and tell. Screaming and running are better than trying to hide. If a stranger approaches you, scream and run to where there are adults and tell them what happened.
6. Safe distance: keep a safe distance (approximately three arm lengths) from strangers and strangers’ cars, even if a stranger seems friendly. Run in the direction opposite to the direction in which the stranger’s car is travelling.
7. Fight back: it is okay to scream and fight. Do anything to get the stranger to let go. Screaming is the most important thing you can do, especially screaming ‘no’, ‘help’ or ‘Danger’ to get an adult’s attention.
8. Home safety: keep all the doors and windows locked when you are at home alone. Go to a neighbour and call 10111 if a window is broken or if the door is open when you get home.
9. Doorbell safety: answer the door by asking, ‘Who is it?’ Never say that you are alone and never open the door when you are alone, unless it is someone your parents told you to expect.
10. Phone safety: never say that you are alone when a stranger calls. You can say, ‘Mom/dad cannot come to the phone now. Can I take a message?’
