STAY SAFE PROGRAMME.
The ‘Stay Safe’ Programme is a personal safety skills programme for Primary Schools.
Aims:
The aims of the Stay Safe programme is to reduce vulnerability to child abuse and bullying. The programme develops children’s ability to recognise, resist and report risk situations or abusive encounters.
The Stay Safe programme teaches children prevention, while preserving their sense of the world around them as a basically safe and secure place. This approach allows children to exercise control, to be assertive, and enables them to seek help for any problem they may encounter.
The programme teaches simple strategies for dealing with various potentially dangerous situations and children are given the opportunity to practise these strategies in the classroom. Thus, the concepts are translated into skills which become part of the child’s repertoire of self-protective behaviour.
Parallel to the development of safety strategies must be the nurturing of self-esteem, confidence building and help in identification and expression of feelings which are integral elements in the broader SPHE curriculum.
B: Guidelines
Help children to identify and express safe and unsafe feelings.
Teach children safety skills for dealing with common unsafe situations like getting lost.
Encourage children to value friendship and to teach them skills for making and keeping friends.
Teach children that it is not acceptable to bully others.
Encourage children to value and enjoy normal affection.
Teach children how to deal with an unsafe or an inappropriate touch.
Teach the rule – never to keep secrets about touching.
Help children to recognise the difference between a good secret and a bad secret.
Help children identify the adults they could tell if they had a bad secret and to give them the opportunity to practise telling.
Clarify for the children who strangers are.
Give children safety strategies for dealing appropriately with strangers.
C: Procedures:
Parents of infant class children, without others in the school or of any newly enroled pupil are given a copy of the parents’ booklet.
Parents of each newly enroled child are given a consent form.
Participation in this programme is optional and as with other sensitive areas of SPHE, parents have a right to withdraw their child.
D: Resourses.
The kit consists of:-
User’s handbook.
4 Teachers books.
Senior Infants – 9 x 20 minute lessons.
1st and 2nd – 9 x 30 minute lessons.
3rd and 4th – 9 x 30 minute lessons.
5th and 6th – 5 x 40 minute lessons.
Worksheet templates (for homework)
Video
Audio Cassette,
Parent’s booklet.
E) Content:
Lesson plans are divided into the five ‘stay safe’ topics
Feeling safe and unsafe.
Secrets and telling.
The programme is developmentally tailored and compatible with the structure of the SPHE curriculum. The above topics can be subdivided into the following themes:
SENIOR INFANTS:
Myself. Myself and others. Myself & the wider world.
Identifying safe and My friends. My 5 senses.
unsafe feelings. I am a good friend when… Good secrets.
If I am bullied it is not my What is bullying. Bad secret.
fault. What to do if bullied. Getting lost – what to do.
Touches I like. I must not bully :it hurts Knowing my name, address,
Touches I don’t like. others. And telephone number.
If I see it happening to someone else.
My special helpers.
1ST or 2ND CLASS.
Identifying ‘yes’ and Friendship. Strangers – who are they?
‘no’ feelings. Bullying – safety rules. The rules about strangers.
Touches I like/dislike. The rule is – never bully Other safety rules.
Unsafe touches- anyone –being considerate. Answering the door & telephone.
Inappropriate touches. What to do if others are How to make a telephone call.
Touches and secrecy. Being bullied.
If someone makes me feel My helpers – adults I can
Unsafe it’s not my fault. trust – telling.
3rd or 4th CLASS.
Myself. Myself & others. Myself and the wider world.
Feelings and emotions Treating others with At home alone – answering
with specific reference respect – their right to the door/telephone.
to safety. privacy. How to contact emergency services.
My right to privacy What to do about bullying. Rules for being out and about.
-personal boundaries. Telling – asking for help – Rules if in a large gathering.
Unsafe touches, who, when,where, how. Strangers – safety strategies.
Inappropriate touches. Safety strategies to deal Threats and bribes and what to do.
My right to be safe – with unsafe or If someone touches me inappropriate touches.
In a way that makes me feel unsafe it is not my fault.
5th or 6th CLASS.
My feelings. Friends and different Safety strategies when I’m out
If I don’t feel safe I groups. and about; alone; in large crowds.
can………… Making and changing travelling.
My right and that of friends – friends confiding What to do about approaches or
others to personal in one another. requests from strangers, adults
boundaries and body Bullying – understanding I know, friends.
space. and dealing with it as the
My safety strategies. injured party, the onlooker the perpetrator.
Difficult secrets – it’s still
OK to ask for help.
Choosing the appropriate time to talk, the best person to help.
Dilemmas about telling – feel
Culpable, won’t be believed,
It’s disloyal, adults not
Listening, telling and nothing
happens.
F) Methods.
Role play. Artwork.
Circle time. Classroom discussion.
Stories/poems. Games and groupwork.