Teacher Tips

Although it's important that parents play a large role in ensuring child safety, it's also key that safety is taught in the classroom. This means teachers too play a key role in not only being observant of what is happening with their students, but also that they do what they can to educate children on safety issues. There is increasing information and studies which suggest that educational prevention works to deter instances where children's safety is compromised.

To do our part in helping teachers to incorporate safety education in the classroom, we've compiled some goals you can use here:

• To aid in a child's ability to prevent and or avoid being a victim
  
• to improve a child's self-esteem
  
• to encourage the use of buddy systems, for both young and older children, Safety comes in numbers.
  
• to fight the feelings of guilt and shame that often follow instances where a child is victimized
  
• to find ways to encourage children to come forward following an instance of abuse or victimization
  
• to encourage and promote communication between parents and children about personal safety issues and concerns
  
• to reinforce the importance of adult supervision and protection

This brief list is by no means meant to take the place of any formal resources or education, but is meant to serve as a starting point for educators to begin dialogue through the form of programs or other means, to help curb the incidence of missing children, by encouraging child safety at all levels.