There are plenty of ways to ensure safety for our children at school. This can be anywhere from coordinating safe transportation, recognizing who safe adults are, or making sure the clothes and accessories children wear won’t get in the way of their well-being. Take a second to check out this Back to School Safety List from the National Safety Council!
Parents, caregivers, and trusted adults – talking to your kids about safety can be difficult sometimes. It is hard to imagine a situation where your child may not be 100% safe. However, there are tools you can use that are fun, informative, and impactful. Darkness to Light, a national curriculum offered by The Cocoon to educate adults on ending child sexual abuse, shares the “S.T.O.P. plan”. This is an easy way for children of all ages to recognize how to protect themselves in the face of danger.
Starting with S for Safety First, it is crucial to advise your child to put their personal safety first and foremost. If your child is in a situation that could become a danger to them, they should start by removing themselves from it. Next is T for Tell Someone. It is important for your child to inform a trusted adult of a dangerous situation. This can be a teacher, a police officer, an aid, or another parent. O is for Openly Communicate, and this encourages children to share their feelings about the situation. It is important to recognize their emotions as danger or violence arises, and to validate how they feel. Lastly, P is Praise Their Bravery. We want to make sure we applaud children for taking the steps necessary to recognize danger, as it encourages them to continue to take these appropriate measures.
Another way to discuss safety with children is by talking about “What If” scenarios. This is a great tool to gauge what your child already knows about safety, and how to come up with better solutions to make sure they are well equipped. When discussing “What If” scenarios, Darkness to Light suggests:
- Think about their immediate safety. If they feel unsafe, encourage them to leave or get help.
- Identify a safe adult they could go to for help or to talk to.
- Discuss what they would do if a person crosses their boundaries.
- Talk about what they can do if the boundary crossing continues.
The Cocoon is here to make sure you have the resources you need to live a happy and violence-free life for yourself, your family, your friends, and your community. For more Violence Prevention services, please visit our Survivor Services page. As always, we provide support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – please reach us by calling our hotline @ 419-373-1730 and selecting option #2.
