Safety Tips for Parents

Provided by SCAN (Stop Child Abuse & Neglect) a program of the National Children's Advocacy Center Huntsville, Alabama


1.Know everything you can about your children's activities and their friends. Monitor children's activities and participate with them. Don't allow children to play alone in isolated areas.

2.Teach your children about strangers AND to be aware of unusual behavior in people they know. Teach them to listen to their feelings and that it is okay to say no if any adults (including family members) ask them to do something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

3.Teach your children to refuse anything from strangers, including money, gifts or rides. Know where new items come from.

4.Teach your children how to safely answer the phone if they are at home alone such as stating the adult in the house is "unavailable" to come to the phone.

5.Teach your children to keep a safe distance from strangers and not to give strangers directions for help, finding lost pets, etc. Adults need to get help from other adults.

6.Teach children to use the buddy system when walking home from school, sports activities, etc. The age-old rule of there's safety in numbers is a primary safety precaution.

7.Use secret codes with your children (for use to positively identify each other or to ask for help).

8.Teach your children (including teens) to check first with you before going anywhere. Children need to let parents know where they are going, how they will get there, who will be going along with them, and when they will return home.

9.Develop a family plan stressing where to meet if lost, when you are away from home. Do not have children meet you in the parking lot. Inside the store, shopping mall or amusement park are much safer places to meet. Teach them their phone number AND area code.

10.Do not place your children's names on their clothing or on the outside of their possessions.

11.Teach your children to say NO to anyone attempting to touch them on the part(s) of their bodies covered by a swimming suit.

12.Teach your children to say NO, then GET AWAY, and TELL SOMEONE if a person bothers them.

13.Join with other concerned parents to set up safety systems for your neighborhood.

14.Teach your children about appropriate and inappropriate secrets and that some secrets have to be told if children and parents are to be kept safe.

Everyday Actions To Keep Children Safe

Stop it Now!

Mothers - Prevention Advocates

Why are mothers possibly the best ally for prevention?

• Mothers set the tone for what is acceptable for the family
• Mothers model coping, emotional processing, problem-solving methods
• Mothers are the key to protection because...

1. we have access to the child

2. we control the freedom/activities of the child

3. we monitor children - WATCH the children

WATCH

What About The Children

WATCH (What About The CHildren) is a reminder to mothers of the important role we play in the prevention of child sexual abuse by educating and empowering children and adults within communities.

Law enforcement and social service agencies can't shoulder this responsibility alone. WATCH understands there must be a collaborative effort to ensure the safety of our children. There are children all around us and sometimes right in front of us who are suffering abuse but have no voice or power to end the abuse.

WATCH also understands that children who are being sexually abused can be difficult to detect. This is why the adults within communities must be knowledgeable about the dynamics of child sex abuse and diligent in preventing and ending the abuse.

WATCH believes that in order to raise awareness and concern regarding this epidemic, communities must be reached by any means necessary. Please join and support WATCH in a journey to protect our children through education, awareness campaigns, stage performances, workshops and other creative avenues. Remember, it takes a village.

WATCH informs and educates mothers on our role in child abuse prevention.

Momsweb will soon be offering a powerful video presentation on child sexual abuse, produced by 3 Hearts on a String, to empower mothers on the importance of WATCHing the children in our care and around us.