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Unread 08-23-2011, 06:32 PM
Heidi Heidi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TJS9 View Post
6.3 Explain why it is important to work with the child or young person to ensure they have strategies to protect themselves and make decisions about safety.

Has anyone completed this yet? I have started it but hitting a mental block...

Please help..
It is important to 'equip' (or empower) children to ensure they have strategies to protect themselves and make decisions because if they don't they may be vulnerable to abuse (of any sort).

From the outset we want to help children/yp gain confidence to speak up - either to say no, and keep safe and not putting themselves in vulnerable or dangerous places. - young people who may be old enough (or perhaps young but those allowed out/roam etc ) and failing this we need to get across that children should not keep secrets but tell a 'safe' person. They should be taught that noone should take advantage of them/do things that they know is not right.

Getting this across will be different for different ages and stages. For very young chlldren you may talk of keeping safe by reading a story such as Red Riding Hood and this will give you an opportunity to talk of keeping safe, staying with their parents, not going off with others and remembering that they can always say no, and tell someone safe about it. The discussion from the story may lead onto general keeping safe and helping them to see how they can help themselves.

For older children/young people your language and the way you put it across
will depend on how you feel best to discuss/deal with this subject.

Children/yp need to have good self-esteem and confidence and a good self image (so important to promote this from a young age) so they know they are important, should be respected by all and know that there are trusted adults their to help them and keep them safe - but that may be another question in ypur unit.

It is important that children have strategies to protect themselves and keep themselves safe as they are usually on their own when they find themselves in an unsafe position.

I'll stop here otherwise it may cross over to other bits of your unit - how a setting can help children in other ways - knowing their body parts, having a body poster, looking out for signs/listening out for language/different/unusual behaviour or inappropriate for their age etc. Sometimes children are not safe in the very place they should be - home and that's why it is an important part of care and education for children/yp to learn what is not acceptable (in a positive ad not frightening method) and how best to protect and keep themselves safe.

I hope this helps a little.
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