Do your children have a Safety Network? Here's why they need one.
Did you have a Safety Network of people when you were growing up? I sure didn’t.
A Safety Network comprises 3, but hopefully, 5 trusted adults in your child’s life, that they name, besides you, that will keep them safe and protect them at all times not just now, but in the future.
Every child should have one.
They are adults who your child can trust and go to when they feel unsafe.
10 reasons why your child should have a Safety Network
1. It takes a village to raise a child and you can’t always be available.
Within your child’s Safety Network one of the adults needs to be at school or their day care, one at home in the family and one outside of the family -like a neighbour or a friend. We need to cover all bases so they know that there is someone to be contacted wherever and whoever they are with.
2. Be pro-active
All over the world, child sexual abuse statistics are high so we need to all be proactive and work together to protect our children.
3. Kids don't always want to talk to their parents
Sometimes our kids don’t always want to tell us something serious or something they may have done, so it’s important that they have other adults to tell.
4. Perpetrators can be close relatives to the victim
Unfortunately, statistics tell us that most perpetrators can be close relatives to the victim so it’s important they have a number of people to talk to and not just within the family.
5. Adults should keep them safe
Children need to understand that it’s always an adult’s responsibility to keep them safe.
6. Kids need more than one go-to person
Our children need to know that trust can change and that the person who they tell may let them down or not help them. Therefore, they must persist and tell someone else in their Safety Network, if there was no-one else to tell who will they go to?
7. Not all adults are to be trusted
Our children need to know that not all adults are to be trusted but that there are those in their Safety Network that will always listen, believe and help them to be and feel safe all of the time.
8. It's okay to say "no"
A Safety Network can give them more confidence. It’s okay to say ‘No’ if you feel unsafe, even to adults. This helps children to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
9. Know who to go to
If they are ever placed in a situation where they are bribed, threatened, or forced they know who to turn to.
10. Secrets are safe with trusted adults
Many perpetrators make children keep their abuse a secret. If a child has chosen a Safety Network and knows that secrets should be told to trusted adults then this can help them.
Some important things to remember:
Never assume that your child already knows that they have a Safety Network. We might assume that our children know who they can talk with but this is not always the case.
It’s important that your child does not choose a child to be in their Safety Network because other children may not be able to protect them, adults can. They also need to know that you don’t mind if it’s not you that they always tell.
It’s also helpful to talk with the adults that your child has chosen, they need to agree and what that means.
Make sure your child knows how to contact the people in their Safety Network.
It can be really difficult to disclose, so tell your child that they will never be in trouble if they tell someone in their Safety Network. In fact, the opposite is true – you will listen, believe and protect them all of the time
Our children need to be empowered and reassured to know that they have the right to be and feel safe all of the time and a safety network will help.
So don’t hesitate and talk about who can be in your child’s Safety Network today.
