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Well it’s that time of year again!! 2008 has been another busy and productive year for Personal Safety Australia (PSA) as we seek to achieve our mission of equipping, empowering and inspiring individuals, organisations and their clients to maximise their safety, enhance their wellbeing and to advocate for the safety and wellbeing of children and other vulnerable groups.
Our 2008 highlights include:
Website Revamp: The new PSA website was launched in February to reflect our full range of services. It includes our quarterly newsletter, our latest news and a member login facility providing access to further information about our services. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to check it out: www.personalsafetyaust.com
Children’s Safety Australia Inc. Launch: We were thrilled to announce the launch of our non-profit sister organisation, Children’s Safety Australia Inc. (CSA) in June. CSA is a Brisbane-based incorporated association and charitable institution with a mission to maximise the safety and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people and encourage them to reach their full potential.
CSA recognises the vulnerability of children and young people to personal violence and acknowledges the need for them to be both protected by adults and empowered with practical strategies and skills to address safety threats when trusted adults are not around. The organisation is supported by a high calibre advisory committee and looks forward to promoting the awareness of key safety issues via awareness campaigns, competitions, an awards program and by developing and distributing promotional and resource materials.
The CSA website was also launched in June (www.childsafety.org.au) and contains information about CSA supporters, events, media releases, infosheets, the quarterly CSA enewsletter, Safe Start, and links to other children’s safety-focused organisations.
PSA has made a commitment to donate 10 percent of all income to CSA. You can support CSA by becoming a member, assisting with a CSA project or by making a donation.
Children's Safety Book Progress: Slow but steady progress continues to be made with our interactive book designed to be read by lower to middle primary school students together with their parent/carer or teacher. It includes key safety concepts, scenarios to practically apply these concepts, worksheets, a quiz, and notes for parents and teachers. Look out for its release in 2009!
Safe Start: Protective Behaviours for Children and Young People: Formally referred to as the ‘Children's Safety Program for Schools’, this program now has a name! Progress this year has seen the structure of the program developed including the mission, aims, core philosophies, underlying principles for success and key safety concepts.
A one day course for teachers and other professionals and volunteers working with children is currently being developed. Future phases of this project will see the development of child protection curriculum for prep to year 12 students.
New Custom-made Personal Safety Seminars: In March we tailor-made our Personal Safety Awareness Sessions (approximately 2 hours duration) and one day Personal Safety Workshops to meet the specific needs of a range of target groups including: young people, women, men, people with disabilities and seniors.
These awareness sessions and workshops aim to:
- inform participants of the actual risks to their safety;
- provide a range of practical strategies to reduce these risks and maximise their safety in all situations;
- enable participants to identify and effectively respond to potential threats to their safety;
- reduce the risk of victimisation;
- increase self-confidence and commitment to safety;
- develop problem-solving and assertiveness skills;
- encourage the development of a Personal Safety Plan;
- enhance participants’ wellbeing and quality of life; and
- encourage participants to reach their potential.
promises to be another busy year for PSA and CSA as we aim to launch our Children’s Safety Book, continue progress on the Safe Start: Protective Behaviours for Children and Young People program and continue to provide our broad range of safety services.
We would like to thank all of our clients for their continued support. Whether you are a community organisation, government department, council, school, child care centre, family day care scheme, concerned parent or community member, you are all important to us and we look forward to assisting with your personal safety education and training needs in 2009 and beyond.
We particularly thank those of you who assisted us in lobbying the Federal Government for a national child protection curriculum by writing a letter of support (as encouraged in the Winter 2008 edition of Insight). While change of this nature is inevitably a slow process, the seed has been planted.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge three very special people who have assisted us in 2008:
Professor Freda Briggs who has very generously provided ongoing assistance and support in relation to a number of our children’s safety projects. Freda is also a member of the CSA Advisory Committee.
Bev Patterson who continues to be a great source of encouragement, support and wisdom. Bev is also a member of the CSA Advisory Committee.
Michaela Wright, owner and director of Wright Side of the Brain, who has designed the PSA and CSA websites and all of our promotional materials including brochures, postcards, newsletters, business cards and logos. Michaela has provided the highest quality service at a very reasonable cost, for which we are very grateful. We highly recommend Michaela to anyone with graphic or web design needs.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe 2009!
Kim Jackson
Director - Personal Safety Australia
As noted in the 2008 Christmas Update article, PSA has continued progress on our children’s safety program for schools, Safe Start: Protective Behaviours for Children and Young People. The program was developed to address a number of identified deficiencies of the international Protective Behaviours personal safety program and is based on current research and recommendations regarding children’s safety programs. The Safe Start program has retained many of its generic safety components of the Protective Behaviours program, and for this reason, Protective Behaviours is reflected in new program's name.
Progress to date has seen the structure of the Safe Start program developed including the mission, aims, core philosophies and key safety concepts. Some of this information is outlined below:
Safe Start: Protective Behaviours for Children and Young People is a personal safety and empowerment program designed to provide safety skills and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people and encourage them to reach their full potential. While Safe Start safety concepts and strategies apply to a broad range of situations, there is a focus on maximising their safety with people.
To achieve this mission Safe Start aims to assist children and young people to:
- build a healthy self esteem and resilience
- encourage respect and empathy for others
- identify and effectively respond to potentially unsafe situations
- identify, prevent and stop inappropriate behaviour
- access help from trusted adults and relevant organisations
- report abuse and continue reporting until the abuse stops
- reduce the risk of engaging in offending behaviour
To achieve this mission Safe Start aims to educate adults responsible for children’s safety to:
- identify risks faced by children and young people
- recognise, and appropriately respond to indicators and disclosures of inappropriate behaviour
- gain an awareness of dangerous “safety” messages and practices to avoid
- relay and reinforce key safety concepts and strategies to children and young people and encourage the development of skills to maximise their safety
- create a supportive environment to promote children and young people’s safety and wellbeing and to build positive relationships with children and young people
- role model the program’s key concepts and strategies.
Core Philosophies
- Children and young people have a right to be safe and to feel safe with people.
- Concerned adults* have a responsibility to protect children and young people from harm and to equip them with safety knowledge and skills. *Concerned adults include parents/carers, other relatives and professionals and volunteers working with children.
- A healthy self esteem is fundamental to self protection and a person’s ability to reach their full potential.
- To maximise their safety, children and young people need to be equipped with an awareness of risks and empowered with strategies and skills to effectively respond to any threat to their safety.
- Safe Start does not seek to place unnecessary limitations on children and young people’s lives, rather to encourage fun, adventure and freedom in a safe environment where risks are identified and addressed.
- Safety skills can be taught without causing fearfulness.
Safe Start incorporates four key safety concepts:
1. I am important, so are you!
Aim: To build a healthy self esteem and encourage respect and empathy for others.
2. Safety is my right
Aim: To identify and effectively respond to potentially unsafe situations, including bullying.
3. My body belongs to me
Aim: To identify, prevent and stop all forms of abuse.
4. I can get help
Aim: To access help from trusted adults and relevant organisations.
A one day course for teachers and other professionals and volunteers working with children is currently being developed and will be available in 2009.
Future phases of this project will see the development of child protection curriculum for prep to year 12 students including user-friendly lesson plans and support materials to assist teachers to deliver regular training sessions. The program also seeks to involve parents, who are identified as integral stakeholders of the program.
If you have an interest in becoming involved with this project, please contact us.
Would you object if someone told you an offensive joke?
Would you complain if you received an unsatisfactory restaurant meal?
What about if someone invaded your personal space and made you feel uncomfortable?
It takes assertiveness to effectively respond to these situations. Assertiveness is the direct and honest communication of your opinions, feelings, needs, and rights in a way that does not violate the personal rights of others. It involves standing up for your own rights, while acknowledging the rights of others, and working towards a win-win solution.
Assertiveness is different from non-assertiveness and aggressiveness. Non-assertiveness (or submissiveness or passivity) is when you allow others to violate your rights by regarding their needs, opinions and rights as more important than your own. This shows a lack of respect for your own needs and can lead to feelings of hurt, anxiety and anger. Non-assertiveness sounds like ‘It doesn't’t matter’ (when it does) and ‘No, you decide’.
Aggressiveness is the opposite of non-assertiveness. It involves expressing and pursuing your rights at the expense of others. In effect, you are getting your own way, no matter what other people want, think or feel. This, in turn, can lead to people having less respect for you.
People who use assertiveness regularly report these advantages:
- They feel more confident, relaxed and happy to be themselves.
- They are more aware of who they are (including their strengths and weaknesses).
- They enjoy healthier relationships
- They experience fewer negative conflicts and arguments.
- They are less likely to be victimized and more likely to take effective action to handle potential threats to their safety.
- They feel in control of their life and live it to the fullest!
Being assertive, like any other skill, takes time to learn. The good news is that anyone can learn to be more assertive. Some general suggestions include:
- “Own” your message using “I-language”. Rather than saying, “You should…” try saying, “I’d really like it if you…”
- Don’t use generalisations such as, “you always…” or “you never”. Focus on the most recent case, saying, “I noticed today you….when you do that I feel….”. Using behavioural descriptions allows you to avoid using labels that hinder the other person’s acceptance of your message.
- Be specific about the action required from the other person, taking into account the rights, needs and feelings of the other person. If necessary and appropriate, clearly describe the consequences of the other person’s behaviour not changing.
- Do not be apologetic about your feelings, rights or opinions. Say “no” to unreasonable requests, also without being apologetic. Even offering an explanation is strictly optional.
- Only address one issue at a time, rather than listing everything you believe the other person has done wrong.
- Be sure to acknowledge both the feelings shown by the other person, and any issues he/she brings up, then immediately return to your point.
- Maintain eye contact (if culturally appropriate) and use tone of voice and body language to reinforce your message.
Assertiveness is a key component of personal safety seminars provided by Personal Safety Australia. For more information visit our web site or contact us.
References
Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service, 2008, Assertiveness – what it means (online), Available: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/Health TopicDetails.aspx? p=243&np=291&id=2174 [Accessed 21 August 2008].
University of Southern Queensland: Student Services 2008, Assertiveness (online), Available:http://www.usq.edu.au/studentservices/ counselling /issues/assertive.htm [Accessed 21 August 2008].
Better Health Channel – Victoria 2008, Assertiveness (online), Available: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/ Assertiveness? open [Accessed 21August 2008].
The internet has provided an catastrophic window of opportunity for child sex offenders to meet, groom and abuse children. There are literally hundreds of thousands if not millions of offenders operating globally to abuse children, and the situation is worsening every day. Parents are often unaware of practical steps they can take to ensure the risks to their own children is minimised. This article seeks to provide that awareness.
The following information has been adopted with permission from the Queensland Police Service ‘Who’s Chatting to Your Kids’ publication (2008).
The internet has brought the world into our living rooms, and in doing so has provided us with access to vast information resources and the opportunity to meet and communicate with people from all over the world.
Advances in technology have also been embraced by sex offenders who have proven to be exceptionally skilled at utilising new modes of communication to exploit and harm our children. While the internet is fundamentally a great place for children, there are some areas of cyberspace that are not appropriate. The information contained in this section provides you with practical information about internet safety and ways you can minimise potential risks to your children.
Social Networking
The internet today contains many sites that are designed to encourage children and teenagers to communicate by messaging each other in real time. These sites allow children and teenagers to chat one on one with family and friends on their ‘buddy’ or contact list, or to chat with various other people at the same time.
Many of these sites contain areas where children can post personal information about themselves including their name, age, location, photographs, contact details and in some instances their sexual preference. Many children feel safe communicating on these sites as they only chat to people they know or people who their friends know or trust.
However, it is very easy for anyone using the internet to identify a child from: details that have been posted on the internet; identifying information that a child’s friend has disclosed during chat conversations; and information sourced from other predators.
Predators may contact several children at once. In many cases they attempt to gain a child’s trust by pretending to be the same age as their victim. It only takes one reply from an unsuspecting child and the predator may commence regularly chatting with that child.
Once they have access to one child they soon gain access to the child’s list of contacts. Those children then introduce this person to their friends who in turn introduce their friends. In a very short period of time, a predator can be chatting with several groups of children whilst pretending to be another school age friend.
Some children believe that adding large numbers of contacts to their buddy lists increases their social status. Police have identified children who have as many as 700 contacts on their buddy lists. In one investigation police arrested five predators on one child’s buddy list. It is important that your child personally know every one on their buddy list. They should also be able to tell you each person’s real name and how they know them.
Online Chat Rooms
Online chat rooms have proven to be a dangerous destination for children who are unsupervised, or who have not been provided with sufficient information and guidance to ward off approaches by sexual predators.
These individuals listen to and empathise with the problems of children, and are aware of their latest music, hobbies and interests. Some attempt to lower a child's inhibitions by slowly introducing sexual context and content into their conversations, while others immediately engage in sexually explicit conversation. Others may seek a face to face meeting with your child.
Police investigations have identified that some individuals gradually seduce children through the use of attention, affection and gifts. The standard rules you teach your children about meeting new people in the real world also apply when they meet and 'chat' with people online.
Consider for a moment whether you would feel comfortable if your child spoke to a total stranger on the street for several hours. Or if the phone rang at home and your child told an unknown caller all about themselves their age, address, school or mobile phone number? Just as you wouldn't let your child give their personal details to someone they meet on the street, they shouldn't give them to anyone in a chat room.
Mobile Phones
Today many children are provided with mobile phones by parents as a way of maintaining contact in emergency situations. Internet predators are constantly looking for ways to facilitate direct contact with children and on many occasions have obtained mobile phone numbers from children during online chat conversations. They will also search the internet for children’s online profiles that contain a mobile telephone number or personal information. These people have been known to send expensive mobile telephones to children as gifts. This gesture is part of the grooming process, and can result in the child feeling indebted to the predator. In these situations, predators have also paid the child’s telephone bills to ensure that communication can continue without the knowledge of the parents.
Of significant concern are the next generation mobile telephones that include features such as satellite navigation and a GPS location capability. This technology can prove valuable if used correctly, however parents should carefully consider the serious safety implications resulting from the possibility that anyone can pin point the exact location of their child at any time.
- Parents are urged to monitor their child’s telephone usage, and be wary of gifts that children receive from unfamiliar people, in particular mobile telephones.
- Choose a mobile phone for your child that does not feature internet access, or alternatively, speak with your carrier to block internet access. All carriers are able to do this.
- Talk to your telephone provider about blocking other services that are not required by your child’s phone. This gives parents the opportunity to limit incoming and outgoing calls, text messages and picture messages.
- If you are concerned, check the received and dialled call register of your child’s mobile phone and phone accounts for numbers other than known friends or family.
- Consider limiting your child’s access to the phone. For example, advise your child to use the mobile phone for emergencies and calls to home only.
- Talk to your child about the appropriate use of camera phones. It is important that they seek another person’s permission before taking a photograph, and that your child tells you if anyone else’s use of a camera phone makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Stress the importance of not responding to any messages from unknown people. If your child receives persistent calls or messages from an unknown person, you should report it to the police, taking a note of the number and saving any messages or pictures on the mobile handset.
Web Cams
Web Cameras (web cams) can be connected to almost any home computer. These cameras are regularly used to capture and send images or live video stream whilst chatting to other internet users. If operated appropriately, they are a great way to stay in contact with family and friends.
However, children who have a web cam connected to a computer in their bedroom are often targeted by internet sex predators. Images or video from a child’s web cam can be used to identify the child on the street or literally obtain a window into their bedroom and family life. Predators seek out and chat to children with web cams and can place enormous pressure on them to transmit indecent images of themselves.
They have been known to blackmail children into transmitting indecent images of themselves after tricking them into disclosing embarrassing or sensitive information about themselves or their family.
Once a child has transmitted an indecent image across the internet, that image can be saved and uploaded to the internet for public viewing. It is all but impossible to remove the image as it can be copied and downloaded often hundreds of thousands of times.
Parents should carefully consider the possible implications of allowing their children to have unsupervised access to web cameras.
Is your child at risk?...
You find pornography on your child's computer.
Child sex offenders may use pornography as part of the process to facilitate open sexual discussion, and it may be used to show the child that sex between children and adults is acceptable and normal.
Your child is receiving phone calls from people you don't know or is calling numbers you don't recognise.
It is very rare that a child sex offender will not attempt to speak directly to a child they have met in a chat room. Investigations to date have proven that most want to talk to the child on the telephone for the purpose of setting up an actual meeting. While your child may be hesitant to give out your home phone number, the sex offender will give out theirs. If you do not have a silent number and your child calls, the offender can easily obtain your number using the 'caller ID' function on their telephone.
Your child is spending a large amount of time on the internet.
The longer your child is online, particularly in 'chat' rooms, the higher the likelihood that they will be approached inappropriately, or be exposed to objectionable material. While exploring the internet can be a valuable experience, parents should consider monitoring the amount of time children spend online. Children are at greatest risk from online sexual predators in the evening, during weekends and school holidays. Be aware that the visitors to chat rooms are from all over the world, not just Australia. Research by police investigators has shown that some offenders are online for up to 16 hours at a time.
Your child is receiving gifts or mail from people you don't know.
Sex offenders use many strategies to gain the confidence and trust of a child. They will send letters and use gifts as part of this process, and have even paid for flights for the child to travel across the country to meet them.
When you enter the room your child changes the screen or turns the computer off.
If your child is engaged in inappropriate conversation or is looking at pornographic images it is likely that they will attempt to hide this from you.
Your child is becoming withdrawn or displaying behavioural problems.
Child sex offenders are masters at exploiting the every day issues that trouble children. They will provide your child with a sympathetic and comforting ear, and will turn insignificant family problems into major issues in order to gain the affection of your child. Children may also become withdrawn after sexual victimisation.
What should you do?
Every element of society has dangers associated with it, and the internet is no different. Like learning to cross the street, it is important that we take the time to guide, assist and supervise our children in the use of the internet.
- Be aware of the programs and files that are on your computer. If you don't feel that you have the knowledge or technical ability to do this, ask a friend, colleague or qualified technician.
- If you believe your child may be at risk, you should consider talking with them about the dangers associated with online conversations.
- Spend time exploring the internet with your children, and let them teach you about their favourite web sites.
- Keep the computer in a room the whole family accesses, not in your child's bedroom. Opportunities for exploitation by a sexual predator are limited if the computer monitor is visible to all members of the family.
- Parents should carefully consider the possible implications of allowing their children to have unsupervised access to web cameras.
- Consider installing filtering and/or computer blocking software provided by your Internet Service Provider. The Netalert web page provides information on a number of commercially available products. (www.netalert.net.au)
- Ensure you are able to access your child's email and randomly check the contents. Remember they may also be a member of free email accounts other than the one provided by your Internet Service Provider such as 'Hotmail' and 'Yahoo'.
- Consider approaching your telephone service provider to discuss the options they may be able to provide to ensure your privacy and security.
- Your child could encounter an online sexual predator at any place outside your supervision. Inquire with your child's school, public library, or anywhere that you believe your child accesses the internet to ascertain what safety measures they have in place.
Tell your children:
- Not to send a picture of themselves to someone they don't know, and to never place a full profile and picture of themselves anywhere on the internet.
- Never give out personal information including their name, home address, phone number or school.
- Never arrange a face to face meeting with someone they have chatted with on the internet.
If any of the following situations occur, you should immediately contact your local police station or, if you live in Queensland, Queensland Police Task Force Argos:
- Your child or anyone in the household has received child pornography.
- Your child has been sexually solicited.
- Your child has received sexually explicit images.
If any of these situations occur, keep your computer turned off in order to preserve evidence.
Internet safety is a key component of child protection and personal safety seminars provided by Personal Safety Australia. For more information visit our web site or contact us. |
