Safeguarding Elementary School Kids From Abduction
Nothing can be more tormenting for a parent than having a child
abducted and not knowing how they are and where they are. Most cases of
abduction for school going kids happen when they are on their way to the
school and on their way back home from school. Abduction of kids has
become very real and it is up to the parents and the schools to come up
with safety measures to reduce the cases and to keep the children
safeguarded at all times. Even the simplest measures on the way to
school and while in school can go a long way in protecting the children.
What parents can do
1. If possible make sure that you take your child to the bus stop and only leave when the child safely board the school bus. In cases where you have chosen not to use the school bus services, make sure you personally drop the child to school compared to leaving them to use public means to get to school.
2. Be attentive when your child talks about approaches from strangers and teach them about abduction in an easy to understand manner but with the seriousness it deserves. Teach them to ignore and avoid strangers, however friendly they might be.
3. Be very clear about who picks your child from school and always let the child know when someone else will be picking them up. They should never accept any other pickups unless you have told them that you will not be present to pick them up and designate a specific person for the task.
4. Work closely with the school about who drops and picks your child from school. The teachers and caregivers should never allow anyone to pick or drop your child unless you have communicated about such changes directly.
5. Ensure that your child knows their full names, home telephone number and address as well as the names of their parents. You however, should warn them about disclosing this information unless they are lost and seeking help reliable people like police officers.
What schools can do
1. Establish consistent school bus pick-up and drops so that parents and guardians are able to keep up with picking their children and dropping them at designated spots. Remember that a few minutes of waiting can lead to a regrettable situation.
2. Get a school visitor management system to ensure that all visits are from relevant people related to the child. Such a system can help you register new visitors and even check with watch lists for security purposes.
3. Never allow suspicious people to pick up kids from school unless you have received official communication from the parent. The same should go for strange characters that drop the kids to school; you should hold them until you talk to the parents and guardians about the drop off and you are sure about who they are.
4. Create some order on how children leave school and make sure they wait for the bus or individual pickups within the school and where you can clearly see all activities.
What parents can do
1. If possible make sure that you take your child to the bus stop and only leave when the child safely board the school bus. In cases where you have chosen not to use the school bus services, make sure you personally drop the child to school compared to leaving them to use public means to get to school.
2. Be attentive when your child talks about approaches from strangers and teach them about abduction in an easy to understand manner but with the seriousness it deserves. Teach them to ignore and avoid strangers, however friendly they might be.
3. Be very clear about who picks your child from school and always let the child know when someone else will be picking them up. They should never accept any other pickups unless you have told them that you will not be present to pick them up and designate a specific person for the task.
4. Work closely with the school about who drops and picks your child from school. The teachers and caregivers should never allow anyone to pick or drop your child unless you have communicated about such changes directly.
5. Ensure that your child knows their full names, home telephone number and address as well as the names of their parents. You however, should warn them about disclosing this information unless they are lost and seeking help reliable people like police officers.
What schools can do
1. Establish consistent school bus pick-up and drops so that parents and guardians are able to keep up with picking their children and dropping them at designated spots. Remember that a few minutes of waiting can lead to a regrettable situation.
2. Get a school visitor management system to ensure that all visits are from relevant people related to the child. Such a system can help you register new visitors and even check with watch lists for security purposes.
3. Never allow suspicious people to pick up kids from school unless you have received official communication from the parent. The same should go for strange characters that drop the kids to school; you should hold them until you talk to the parents and guardians about the drop off and you are sure about who they are.
4. Create some order on how children leave school and make sure they wait for the bus or individual pickups within the school and where you can clearly see all activities.
Using a school visitor management system
is one of the best ways of safeguarding elementary kids from people
with ill-motives. Never make assumptions, even when the visitor is known
to the child.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jovia_D'Souza/2007086
Comments
Post a Comment
thank you