Tag Archives: child safety

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

LOOKING OUT FOR THE CHILDREN

We want to wish a Happy 50th Anniversary to a wonderful organization, ChildhelpÒ.
Two ladies, Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, founded this group in 1959, with a goal of meeting the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of neglected, abused and as-risk children.  As we often see on the nightly news, there is some innocent little child missing, injured, or killed, with results later being disclosed that they fell victim to a family member.  From 2006, statistics show that four children die every day, from child abuse, and three out of four of them are under the age of four years.  Reports of child abuse are called in to authorities every 10 seconds.

In children under the age of 12, 90% of them knew their perpetrator.  They come from every socio-economic background, and chances are that 1/3 of abused/neglected children will later abuse their own children, keeping the horrible circle of child abuse unbroken.

Signs of child abuse are:

  • Anti-social behavior, problems in school
  • Unexplained marks, burns, cut, bruises
  • Bite marks
  • Fear of adults
  • Eating disorders
  • Fear of particular person or family member
  • Drastic appetite changes
  • Apathy, depression
  • Hostility
  • Unsuitable clothing
  • Unkempt, dirty
  • Extreme hunger
  • Lack of supervision

Evidently, in this world, it does take a village to raise a child!  We need to be responsible enough to report things that we suspect as child abuse to the proper authorities.  Neighbors are often reluctant to get involved until it is too late.  Calls are anonymous, and toll-free.

Call 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) it the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline.

This is a very disturbing topic, and we salute this group and all the others that focus on child safety.  We also acknowledge all the dedicated parents and grandparents that do everything in their power to protect their little ones.  However, there’s no better safety message than to ask you to watch out for all of our young people, and future generations.

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

STRANGER DANGER

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Just about every day, we see it on the news…………somewhere a child has been abducted!  The world we live in just isn’t safe anymore, and when it comes to protecting our children, we need to take every precaution by teaching them to be wary of strangers.  It’s hard to know exactly which persons are strangers; they can appear to be very nice, ordinary people.

Most children in their early development years are surrounded by loving parents, relatives and friends who assure that they are safe and comfortable; when they go places with their family, they are exposed to the outside world, but still are safe because they are with their family.

As they begin this trek into the real world, it is the job of the parents to teach them to be careful around people that they don’t know.  Many well-meaning people love to pay attention to little ones, and that’s all right; however, those people know their boundaries, and don’t overstep them.

One major rule: Children shouldn’t be left alone to play in the yard!  They could be grabbed so fast, you wouldn’t know until it is too late!

As children begin preschool or school, parents should check with their school to see if they are teaching children about Stranger Danger.  These programs, along with parents, teach children not to take candy from people they do not know, and not to go near a car of someone inviting them over to see their puppy or kitten.  If a child thinks someone is following him/her, they should go to a nearby store or group of people and get help.  Should your child inform you of an incident such as this, you need to call the police and report it.

A good plan for parents and their friends who might need to pick up their child from school or elsewhere is to share a secret code word that the child knows, to ensure that they are the person the parent has arranged to pick them up.  A stranger wouldn’t know that word, thus reminding the child that they are not to go with this person.

Other helpful ideas for your child’s safety:

  • Never play in deserted areas, such as empty playgrounds, parks, or alleys
  • Stay with Mom and Dad in public places
  • Play with a friend; the “Buddy System” always works best
  • If you are in a store and get lost from your parents, go to a cashier or security guard for help, rather than wander around
  • If you go home after school and Mom or Dad are still at work, call them to let them know you are home okay
  • Never tell someone you will be home alone
  • If you see a broken window or open door when you get home, don’t go in.  Go to a trusted neighbor and call 911
  • Don’t open the door for someone until you know who it is
  • Never give personal information to someone on the phone: your address, etc.
  • If you want to go study with a friend in the neighborhood, get your parents permission first, and let them know where you will be and when you will be home

Cell phones are an excellent method of communication for kids old enough to be responsible in how they use them.  Parents can call and check on them; likewise, they can reach their parents when they need to.

Uncategorized

KIDS AND THE INTERNET

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Although October is almost gone, this month marks National Cyber Security Awareness Month.  Many kids have their own computers, and hopefully, parents monitor their behavior on the computer as well as any other activities they participate in.  There are online predators just waiting out there in cyberspace to prey on innocent children.

According to a Utah state press release: “Entertainment Software Association sponsored a pilot program called Web Wise Kids.  Quoting the Attorney General of Utah, Mike Shurtleff: “kids enjoy the games and parents and educators love the games featured because they can save lives.  Real actors in real storylines from actual crimes create a game that educates its players in Internet safety, as well as delivering riveting action.”

There are many programs that educate parents and their kids in Internet safety.  ChildNet International, Kid Smart, and Know It All are just a few.  The information is out there for all to take advantage of.  Why not take a few minutes to read up on how to avoid possible dangers that are lurking?

Children need to be taught to maintain a high standard of personal safety and responsibility online.  They can’t play it too safe!

A good idea is to have their computer in the kitchen, or somewhere else that provides the parents accessibility at any time; this lets your child know that you are interested in their safety at all times.

Remind your children:

  • Never post their full name, school, home address, phone number, etc. online.
  • Never post their picture.
  • All the information they post will be there forever.
  • Grownups that try to befriend kids on the Internet are losers; they have no life, so they go online, and should be avoided.
  • If your child receives communication from a suspicious person, tell them to not be afraid to tell you.  Then notify your local authorities.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.
  • Email only their real friends, not cyberspace ones!

Although computers are a wonderful tool for educational and entertainment purposes, it’s wise to let your kids know that they are fortunate to have a computer, but if they drift off into the wrong places, it could haunt them later when they are wanting to enter college, or get a job.  We all need to remember to post only things we would want seen in public the same way we display them in person.