Teach kids to be safety savvy!

South Africa – Never underestimate the importance of teaching children how to stay safe. 
We must take care of our children. It only takes a few seconds for tragedy to strike. 
Here are a few tips to keep child predators at bay:

The first thing you need to teach your children is not to take anything from strangers. They should be taught not to approach unknown vehicles and always to be vigilant of cars that might be following them.

They should never go anywhere with anyone they don’t know or anyone they don’t trust. 
Youngsters should be vigilant and rather walk in a group or with an older child or adult for safety.
Create a place of safety where your children can go. If they ever feel unsafe in any situation – with a stranger or with someone they know – they should have safe zones they can go to, to tell someone trustworthy that they feel scared. 

Teach them to yell and tell. They should also tell someone if anyone does anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Teach them that it’s especially important to tell people who try to persuade them not to tell. If someone wants something to be “our little secret”, then chances are they are doing or planning something bad.

Kids should know to trust their instincts, if something doesn’t feel right – speak up! If they feel they are in danger they should shout as loudly as they can to get the attention of bystanders.

Make sure that they know it is okay to say no!