Children’s Safety Australia Child Protection Week Teen Safety Tips Children’s Safety Australia This week (3 – 9 September 2017) marks Child Protection Week and presents a valuable opportunity to discuss some key safety tips. The good news is that Australia is a very safe place. The not-so-good news is that as young people you are more likely to experience personal violence than people who are older than you. As a result it’s important to have an understanding of what safety risks exist and what you can do to help keep yourself safe.

Safety Risks for Teens Girls aged 15 – 19 are most likely to experience personal violence. Girls aged 10 – 19 yrs are also most likely to experience sexual abuse. For girls: the offender is most commonly known to them. Boys aged 15 – 19 are most likely to be victims of robbery. Boys aged 15 – 19 yrs also present the most likely offenders of personal violence. Source: 2015-15 Queensland Police Service Statistical Review (www.police.qld.gov.au). There are four key safety messages that we will briefly outline, as represented by the four Safe T teen safety posters…

The first poster is, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’ The first poster is, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’. I hope you would agree that it is far better to be the most incredible, unique one-of-a-kind you, rather than a cheap knock off of someone else?

Q: What can you tell me about these people Q: What can you tell me about these people? They include musicians, entertainers, sports people, a politician. What do they have in common?   Q: Would you agree that each one of these people is uniquely individual? That they are successful in their chosen field? Without a doubt they have natural abilities but they are probably not THE most talented people in their field… So how did they succeed? They believed in themselves, they made the most of their God-given talents and abilities. No doubt a lot of hard work was also involved. And they didn’t let the haters stop them from reaching their goals.

APPRECIATE HOW INCREDIBLY UNIQUE AND AWESOME YOU ARE The ‘Be Yourself’ safety message is about making the most of YOUR potential and appreciating how incredibly unique and awesome you are. There is no one else like you. You are 100% individual. You have talents, personal qualities, natural abilities, dreams and goals.   If you appreciate your individuality and value yourself, you will look after yourself. You will treat yourself and your body with respect and you will make sure other people respect you too. You will reach your potential and achieve your goals. You will succeed in life. And I’m not talking about being rich and famous. I’m talking about loving what you do, being proud of the person you become and being happy. Don’t let haters bring you down. Believe in yourself.

The second poster is, ‘Safety is your right’. You have the right to be safe with people. Another way of saying this is: No one is allowed to make you feel unsafe or to put you in danger. Often times, particularly for girls, threats to your safety come from someone you know. For boys, it is just as likely to come from someone you know as from a stranger. Many threats can be avoided by recognising danger and removing yourself from the situation.   So, how do you recognise danger?

TRUST AND ACT ON YOUR INSTINCTS …by trusting and acting on your instincts. Our bodies are excellent at sensing danger. It might feel like a gut feeling, an instinct, a sense that something isn’t right and you don’t feel safe. It is absolutely vital that you listen to this feeling. No matter where you are or who you are with, leave and go somewhere you feel safe. It’s also a good idea to talk with someone you trust about what happened.  

BE COMMITTED TO YOUR SAFETY Another key tip to keeping yourself safe is being committed to your safety. Being committed to your safety means that you are committed to do everything you can to keep yourself safe. This involves both putting in place strategies to reduce the likelihood of harm, such as not taking unnecessary risks when it comes to your safety and by being aware of your surroundings and points of help. It also means if you encounter some type of danger, that you take whatever action you need to, to get yourself to safety. This may mean telling someone you know that what’s happening is NOT okay, by leaving where you are, running away and even by fighting back if you need to.

The third poster is ‘My body, my say’. This message acknowledges that what you do with your body and who touches you is YOUR choice. It is NOT okay for anyone to: touch or look at the private parts of your body without your consent; force you to touch or look at someone else’s private parts; show you sexualised images or videos; or take sexualised photographs or videos of you. It is also important to know your rights…

YOUR RIGHTS YOU have the right to: Your choices being respected Change your mind Express how you feel Not being abused Seek help

The final poster is ‘I can get help’. (Read the poster) Is there anyone here who doesn’t have any problems at all and has never had a problem? We all have problems. Sure, some are bigger than others. We can sometimes think we are the only person in the world with our problem but we’re not.   Relationship problems, bullying, keeping up with your studies, problems at home with domestic violence, issues with alcohol and drugs, eating disorders, self harm, physical and sexual abuse. These are a range of issues some of you are likely to be experiencing. Can I tell you that there is nothing so awful that you can’t talk about it with someone. Talking with someone we trust has lots of great benefits.

WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS Talking with someone we trust can lead to: a solution/options help reassurance relief It can lead to: a solution/options to help solve our problem help reassurance and support relief Those most isolated often don’t reach out. This can be very dangerous.  

REACH OUT FOR HELP Trusted adults in your life Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) Police (000 or 131 444) My last tip is to Reach out for help when you need it.   Help points can include: Trusted adults in your life: parents and other relatives; teachers; counsellors; coaches; best friends’ parents; neighbours Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) Police (000 for emergencies or 131 444 for non-urgent information, advice and reporting)

Questions? Does anyone have any questions? Note: For further detail regarding the four safety messages and components, refer to the 2017 Child Protection Week: Teen Safety Messages Infosheet.