Today is the international day of protection of children. The celebration is intended to remind that children have their rights, and the responsibility of adults to protect them against possible threats. In the modern world dangers await at almost every step, and parents can’t always be there. But most children can easily speak and even go with a stranger if he, for example, offer a gift. And this despite the endless warning that you can’t do that!
How to teach a child to behave in emergency situations, what rules you need to follow to avoid trouble and what to do if a child is missing, we were told by our experts — the psychologist Irina Siryk and lawyer Oleg Ogorodnik.
NINE MAIN RULES THAT WILL HELP TO AVOID THE TRAGEDY
1. Keep the name secret.
The child should quickly learn your name and surname, phone number and address, parents ‘ names. But never write the name of the baby on his things, do not hang personal trinkets on a backpack. Parents often do so in case the thing gets lost, but it is dangerous — a stranger immediately recognizes the name of the child, and when a stranger contacts you by name, he creates trust. It is better to write on the tag your mobile number.
2. Machine = danger.
Learn to get around parked cars and never to get — not only to strangers but even to friends (a lot of abductions are exactly “friends”). Better to let, in the truest sense of the word, shies cars than will one day become the victim of kidnappers. If the kid go and try to attract attention, explain the need to scream and run away in the direction opposite to the movement of the car.
3. Family password.
Create a family password — a passphrase that you will have to call people (for example, a friend of the family) that the baby went with him. Thus in the sentence — “I will take you to your mom!” — the child should ask for a password. The main thing — the passphrase must be unexpected that it was impossible to guess, like “little Mandarin”.
4. Technology to help.
A special app on your smartphone will help you track every step of a child. So, or Life360 GPS Phone Tracker is free and available for iOS and Android. Thanks to the GPS sensor, the app will determine the coordinates of the child and to show the battery level of his phone. Another useful achievement of the gadgets with a panic button. They come in the form of watches, key rings, bracelets and other things: they can be used to track location and receive alarms if the worst happens.
5. Gently, stranger!
Will teach you not to start a conversation with strangers, even kind. Explain to your child that he is not obliged to answer questions of strangers and always have to silently pass by. If a stranger grabbed you have to be “bad”: to fight, to bite, loudly shouting: “I don’t know him! He wants me to steal!”. Also teach under any circumstances not to get on the Elevator with other people, — let them come to your mailbox, will pretend to have forgotten something, or say that parents are allowed to drive only with their neighbors.
6. One at home.
Children in any case should not open the door when they are home alone. Even if a person appears to a family friend, police officer, employee of the municipal service. The ideal is to accustom the child to pretend that the apartment is unoccupied. If the stranger starts to break, we have to call parents, neighbors (if agreed in advance with them) or the police: emergency numbers (“112”, “101”, “102”, “103”, “104”) should always be visible.
7. Virtual buddy.
Tell us about the dangers that may await on the Internet. Explain that people are not always those who present themselves on the network and a new friend from online, who introduced 11-year-old Pasha, in fact it may be criminal. That is why it is impossible to tell anyone your phone number, address, place of study and other personal information, and especially to meet people I met on the Internet. And another thing: try to make friends with the child in social networks: will be able to follow, with whom he communicates.
8. Rule panties.
The child was not a victim of sexual violence, from early childhood must be taught to protect your body. The kid should know that nobody has the right to touch him, especially in places that don’t show. To learn this will help the “panty rule” — what’s underneath them, outsiders can not touch it! If someone violates a rule, the child should immediately tell their parents. Child molesters often say — “Let kiss be our secret”. So explain that such secrets can not be!
9. Best friend.
Want your child told you about all the incidents and consulted? Then learn how to react! Regardless of what happened, do not punish the child and avoid the phrase “We told you so!”. The problem will not solve it, but trust is tarnished. The kid should know what may contact parents for any reason, and get the understanding, protection, support. Do not dismiss problems, even if they seem ridiculous. Otherwise, when something really serious, the child simply does not say so.
TEACH CHILDREN THROUGH PLAY
To teach your baby to self-reliance step by step, it is best to start training in 3-4 years and be paid to the 5-10 minutes each week. Replace the word “criminal” with “the stranger”, “stranger”, “outsider”: many children are criminal as “evil uncle in black” and believe that they can distinguish it from a good man.
Warning about the dangers, avoid the rote learning of rules, explain why it is possible to do, and so it is impossible, on the real-life examples.
“To learn the rules of safety will help shape, — says Irina Siryk — Offer play different situations — home alone, a phone call, went to the entrance, got lost in the Mall, got lost on the street, someone goes after him… If need, ask relatives to fulfill certain roles. Do not interfere in the process of the game, let the kid himself to decide what to do, and in the end indicate on error. So the child will not only memorize the rules, but will work on them in practice and, therefore, do not get confused, if there is such a thing.”
“THE RULE OF THREE DAYS NO!”
If a child is missing, immediately call the police and dial the number 116 000 is a hotline Service “lost children”. The law enforcers warned: the sooner you begin the search, the faster is the kid.
“The statement about the disappearance should take in any police station immediately! In Ukraine there is a rule of “three days,” — says Oleg Ogorodnik. — If the police refuses to come to the call, go to the nearest branch. Chief, write a statement (in free form) with a request to help in the search. Write all the circumstances of the disappearance, attach a copy of your passport and a photo of the child. On duty have to register the application and give you the incoming number of the application. And remember: the law of Ukraine on police search for the child — free”.
