School safety, security, and violence prevention resource

In my previous post, I listed down several tips on how you can help ensure that your child will be safe from sexual predators.  The truth of the matter is that no matter what you do, there are some things that are beyond your control.  That is the stark reality of today’s life but you can still do all that you can, right?  While there may be factors that you can’t do anything about, you can at least have the peace of mind that being prepared brings.  So here are some more tips which you can use; tips that aim to keep children safe from being victims of sexual predators.

Pay special attention to your children every single day.
Only by knowing your children in and out will you be able to detect any changes in their behavioral patterns.  While changes in these patterns do not necessarily mean that they are being victimized by a predator, these changes will certainly occur IF they are being troubled.  And even if the problem turns out to be something else, it is still your job as a parent to help your children go through whatever they are going through.  Again, this tip boils down to having a deep and open relationship with your children.

Be extra careful when hiring babysitters and other help.
While the study that I mentioned in a previous post revealed that children may be in more danger from their peers than adults, it is always better to go the safe route.  That is, make sure that the adults that your children are going to be in regular contact with are trustworthy.  When hiring babysitters especially, do a thorough background check.  Make sure that they have no offenses, especially sexual related ones.  Same goes for gardeners or other household help that you may need.  There are databases for these offenses now and you can easily look them up.  More so, ask for references and pay careful attention when interviewing potential employees.  If you are still not convinced by the urgency of being extra selective when hiring help, do take note that statistics show that majority of the cases wherein children who are victimized by sexual predators involve people that the children know.  Be careful of who you let in your house and in your lives.

Continue to find “life lessons” in daily activities.
Incorporating safety lessons into your daily activities will help your children imbibe these lessons more naturally and quickly.  For example, when you go out to the mall, point out safety measures to your children. Same thing for when you go to the park, and so on.

Remember, vigilance is never a bad thing.  It is up to you, the parent, to help equip your child and keep him safe.

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