Safety Net is a Brighton based charity working with families, schools and communities to keep children safe. We asked them for some tips on talking to children about keeping safe.

1. Make sure that children and young people know they have a right to feel safe and that you are there to help them.
2. Teach children and young people to pay attention to their surroundings and listen to their instincts or Early warning Signs – the feelings in our body that we get when we are uncomfortable or scared like; heart beating faster, jelly knees, tummy ache.
3. Talk to children and young people about their feelings and ask them to tell you if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, even if it’s someone they know.
4. Teach them to identify 5 people they could talk to who would listen and take action to help them. Draw these people onto a ‘Helping Hand’ so that they remember who they are.
5. Talk to children about what makes them feel unsafe and where the safe places are in your neighbourhood.
6. Practice ‘what if’ scenarios with them; ‘what if you got lost in town, how could you keep yourself safe?’ 'What if you miss the last bus, how could you keep yourself safe?'

Safety Net offers several training courses including Protective Behaviour.

Protective Behaviours (PB’s) is a safety awareness programme which helps children and adults to recognise any situation where they feel worried or unsafe, such as feeling stressed, bullied or threatened and explores practical ways to keep safe. Protective Behaviours also looks at identifying support networks for times when we need someone to listen and help.

To mark 20 years of working with Protective Behaviours in Brighton & Hove, Safety Net will be holding a FREE Protective Behaviours Conference Meeting at the Brighthelm Centre on June 19th 2014 from 9.00 – 2.00 with lunch included.

For an introduction click here

Protective Behaviours is based on these key messages:
•    We All have the Right to Feel Safe all of the Time
•    We can talk with Someone about Anything, no matter how awful

The programme can be used in a wide range of settings by teachers, parents, women’s refuge workers, the police, social workers, youth workers, health visitors and community workers.

Further information about training and practice can also be found at ‘PB People’.
 
Our conference will take place on Thursday 19th June at The Brighthelm, North Road, Brighton from 10:00 – 14:00 - You can book here.

The conference will demonstrate why Protective Behaviours is as relevant as ever to the current agendas, around Early Help and Resilience building for children to achieve better outcomes for young people and families. Topics will include:-
  
•    The research and evidence base for the Protective Behaviours approach.
•    Examples of how Protective Behaviours has been used effectively in practice to make a difference to the safety and well-being of children, young people and families.
•    Guest speakers include Professor Robin Banerjee, Di Margetts and Chartered Psychologist and TV Presenter Dr Stephen Briers.

If you are interested in attending our conference but not sure you know enough about Protective Behaviours we will hold a free Protective Behaviours Information Workshop session on Wednesday 4th June.

Taking place prior to the conference this short workshop is suitable to those of you that want to attend the conference but haven’t yet attended Protective Behaviours Training or are in need of a refresher.
 
If you would like to come along please sign up here

We hope you find the tips above useful when talking to young people about safety and that we see some of you at the conference.

Safety Net