Dealing with Personal Safety from another angle.

Mrs Christina N. Rankine, PTA President-Jabneh Christian Academy

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states in Article 19 that every child has the right to be protected from violence, abuse, and neglect. This includes protection from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harm.

Children should never be expected to protect themselves alone. Their safety is first and foremost the responsibility of trusted, responsible adults. That is why adults must do everything within their power to protect children, while also equipping them with clear, age-appropriate words they can use to advocate for themselves when we are not present.

Let us give our children the words before they need them. Let us teach them to recognize when something is wrong, move toward safety at the first safe opportunity, seek the right adult, speak clearly, keep asking for help when necessary, and trust God through the process.

So that when they face a difficult situation, they can confidently say:

“I don’t feel safe, and I know what to do.”

As parents, we are always preparing our children for life. We teach them how to cross the road safely, how to make good decisions, and how to become increasingly independent. But there comes a time when we must release them into environments where we cannot always be there watching over them.

That is why it is so important that we prepare our children to recognize when they feel unsafe, speak up, seek help, and advocate appropriately for themselves.

This preparation cannot apply only to the classroom. Our children need to know what to do if they feel unsafe at school, while commuting to or from school, in the community, at an activity, visiting someone else’s home, online, or in any other setting.

The First Line of Defence: Get to Safety

We want to teach our children that the first line of defence when they feel unsafe is to remove themselves from the situation whenever it is possible and safe to do so.

The goal is not to confront the person.

The goal is not to fight back.

The goal is not to prove that they are brave.

The goal is to get to safety.

Teach your child:

“If you feel unsafe, at the first safe opportunity, move away from the situation and go directly to a safe and responsible adult.”

When they move away, they should have one clear intention: get to the first safe and responsible adult they can find.

Once they reach that adult, we want our children to be able to clearly communicate what is happening.

They can say:

“Miss/Sir, I feel unsafe. I feel afraid. [Name] said this to me. [Name] did this to me. My parent told me that if this should ever happen, I should report it to an adult immediately. I need help.”

This statement also gives the schools the opportunity to exercise its own policies, and this gives the opportunity for parental awareness.

Request to Have Your Parent Contacted

We also need to teach our children that it is okay to ask for their parent to be contacted when they feel unsafe or believe they need their parent’s assistance.

They can say:

“My parent told me that if I ever feel unsafe, I should ask for them to be contacted so they can help make sure that I get home safely.”

If they believe they cannot safely remain where they are, they should communicate that clearly:

“I feel unsafe being here. Please help me contact my parent and help me stay somewhere safe until they can assist me.”

This gives the child language to communicate their concern without escalating the situation.

What If the First Adult Dismisses Them?

We also need to prepare children for the possibility that the first adult they approach may not immediately understand the seriousness of what they are saying.

Our children should be taught not to give up simply because one person does not respond appropriately.

They can respectfully say:

“Miss/Sir, my parent told me that if this should ever happen, I should tell an adult and keep asking for help. I feel unsafe being here. Please help me get to the right person so that my parent can be contacted and I can be accompanied home safely.”

The child should continue seeking an appropriate, responsible adult until their concern has been heard and they are in a safe situation.

We are teaching persistence in seeking help and not confrontation.

We Are Teaching Them to Advocate, Not Escalate

There is an important difference between advocating for yourself and retaliating.

We want our children to know:

I can say, “Stop.”

I can move away.

I can seek help.

I can report what happened.

I can ask for my parent to be contacted.

I can continue asking for help if I do not feel safe.

Standing up for yourself does not always mean fighting back.

Sometimes standing up for yourself means knowing when to walk away, knowing who to tell, using your voice clearly, and refusing to allow fear or pressure to prevent you from seeking help.

We do not want the first response to be fighting or retaliation when there is an opportunity to move away and seek adult assistance.

STOP — MOVE — TELL — REQUEST — PRAY — REMEMBER

Give your children a simple routine they can practise until it becomes familiar.

STOP

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

Recognize the feeling and take it seriously.

MOVE

“At the first safe opportunity, I will move away and go to a safe adult.”

Move toward a safe place and a responsible adult.

 TELL

“I feel unsafe. I feel afraid. This person said/did ____.”

Clearly explain what happened.

REQUEST

“I would like my parent to be contacted, please.”

If they still feel unsafe, they can say:

“I feel unsafe being here. Please help me get to the right person and contact my parent.”

 PRAY

“God, I am afraid. Please help me. Give me wisdom and courage and keep me safe.”

 REMEMBER

“God is with me. I am not alone.”

Parents: Give Your Children the Words Before They Need Them

Children often struggle to communicate when they are frightened. That is why we should practise these words with them before they need them.

Have conversations at home:

•⁠  ⁠“What would you do if you felt unsafe at school?”

•⁠  ⁠“What would you do if you felt unsafe walking home?”

•⁠  ⁠“What would you do if you felt unsafe on the bus or while commuting?”

•⁠  ⁠“Who would you go to?”

•⁠  ⁠“What would you say?”

•⁠  ⁠“How would you ask for me to be contacted?”

•⁠  ⁠“What would you do if the first person you told did not help?”

•⁠  ⁠“How would you let us know what happened?”

Role-Play

Role-play different scenarios with your children so that seeking help becomes a familiar response rather than something they must figure out while frightened.

Practise situations involving:

•⁠  ⁠School

•⁠  ⁠Walking to or from school

•⁠  ⁠Public transportation

•⁠  ⁠Public places

•⁠  ⁠Activities and extracurricular programs

•⁠  ⁠Another person’s home

•⁠  ⁠Online interactions

Our children may not always have us physically beside them.

But they can carry our instructions, our confidence, our voice, and God’s Word with them.

Teach Them to Remember What Happened

Children should also be taught to remember the basic facts surrounding an incident:

•⁠  ⁠When did it happen?

•⁠  ⁠Where did it happen?

•⁠  ⁠Who was involved?

•⁠  ⁠Who did I tell?

•⁠  ⁠What did I tell them?

•⁠  ⁠What did the adult say or do?

This does not mean that we are asking children to investigate, gather evidence, or manage the situation themselves.

Rather, we are teaching them to communicate accurately and remember the steps they took to seek help.

What is my Child is feeling unsafe at school?

Parents Must Know the School’s Policies

Parents also have a responsibility to educate themselves.

We need to understand the school’s policies regarding:

•⁠  ⁠Bullying

•⁠  ⁠Fighting and physical aggression

•⁠  ⁠Reporting incidents

•⁠  ⁠Student safety

•⁠  ⁠Communication with parents

•⁠  ⁠Emergency procedures

•⁠  ⁠Behavioural expectations

Attend PTA meetings. Get to know your child’s teachers. Know the appropriate members of the administration and understand the channels available for raising concerns.

When a situation arises, we should be able to advocate for our children respectfully and according to the established policies and procedures.

Our children also benefit when they know that their parents understand the school’s systems and will advocate for them appropriately.

Response of Schools

Parents should also understand that preparing children to speak up is only one part of the responsibility. Schools must have systems in place to respond when a report is made.

The Revised Safety & Security Manual, as referenced in the Statement by the Honourable Minister of Education on Bullying in Schools, July 18, 2026, stipulates the following response:

•⁠  Create awareness and establish clear expectations: School administrators should provide guidelines for creating awareness about bullying in schools and identify sanctions to be applied where there are breaches.

•⁠  ⁠Document reports: All reports of bullying must be documented and appropriate data kept on reported incidents.

•⁠  ⁠Address both the victim and offender: Steps must be taken to treat with both victims and offenders where a case has been reported.

•⁠  ⁠Escalate criminal matters: Where bullying involves matters of a criminal nature, such as extortion or any activity likely to develop into criminal activity, the School Resource Officer or local Police must be notified.

What This Means for Parents

This reinforces why we teach our children to speak up, report what happened, identify who they reported it to, and continue seeking help if they do not feel safe.

Our children should not be expected to resolve serious situations on their own.

At the same time, reporting an incident does not mean that a child is responsible for determining the punishment or outcome. Their responsibility is to recognize when something is wrong, move toward safety, tell a responsible adult, and provide accurate information.

The responsibility of the adults and the school is to listen, document, assess, respond, protect, and take appropriate action in accordance with established policies and procedures.

We Are Not Teaching Children to Handle Serious Matters Alone

We are not teaching children to investigate, confront, punish, or resolve serious situations themselves.

We are teaching them how to get the matter into the hands of responsible adults.

We teach the child to speak.

The school must be prepared to listen.

We teach the child to seek help.

The adults must be prepared to respond.

We teach the child to advocate appropriately.

The school must have systems that allow concerns to be reported, documented, addressed, and escalated when necessary. This is why the partnership between home, school, and the child is so important.

We prepare the child to speak.

The school must be prepared to listen and respond.

We teach the child to seek help.

The adults must be prepared to provide help.

We teach the child to advocate.

The adults must be prepared to act appropriately.

Teach Them to Stand on the Word of God

Parents, while we teach our children practical strategies for navigating situations where they feel unsafe, we must also teach them where their ultimate source of strength comes from.

There will be moments when our children are away from us. We may not be physically present. We may not be able to answer the phone immediately.

But God is always present.

Teach them Scripture before the difficult moment comes:

•⁠  ⁠Joshua 1:9: “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

•⁠  ⁠Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

•⁠  ⁠Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you.”

•⁠  ⁠Deuteronomy 31:6: “He will not leave you or forsake you.”

•⁠  ⁠Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”

These should not simply be verses they memorize for school.

They should become words they know how to use.

Teach your children to pray when they are afraid. Teach them to declare God’s Word. Teach them that they can call upon God for wisdom and courage.

But also teach them that trusting God does not mean refusing to seek human help.

Prayer and action can work together.

Pray and move toward safety.

Pray and tell a responsible adult.

Pray and ask for your parent to be contacted.

A Five-Minute Practice at Home

Parents, make this part of your regular family routine.

Once a week, take five minutes and say:

“Let’s practise what you would do if you felt unsafe.”

Give your child a simple scenario.

Parent: “You are at school and someone is making you feel unsafe. What do you do?”

Child: “STOP. I recognize that I don’t feel safe.”

Parent: “What next?”

Child: “MOVE. At the first safe opportunity, I move away and go to a safe adult.”

Parent: “What do you say?”

Child: “TELL. I say, ‘I feel unsafe. I feel afraid. This is what happened.’”

Parent: “What if you need me?”

Child: “REQUEST. ‘Please contact my parent. I need help.’”

Parent: “What can you do while you are waiting for help?”

Child: “PRAY. God, please help me and keep me safe.”

Parent: “And what do you remember?”

Child: “God is with me. I am not alone.”

Practise this routine in different environments so that your child understands that the same basic principles apply wherever they are.

Preparing Our Children Before They Need Us

The purpose is not to make our children fearful.

The purpose is to make them prepared.

We are not teaching our children to be afraid of the world.

We are teaching them how to navigate the world safely when we are not there.

We may not always be able to stand beside our children. But we can equip them with the knowledge, language, confidence, practical strategies, and faith they need to know what to do when they are not safe.

As parents, we have a great responsibility, it is our Job to ensure that we equip our children with the right information as we prepare them to navigate the world safely when we are not standing beside them.

Let us give our children the words before they need them. Let us teach them to recognize when something is wrong, move toward safety at the first safe opportunity, seek the right adult, speak clearly, keep asking for help when necessary, and trust God through the process.

So that when they face a difficult situation, they can confidently say:

“I don’t feel safe, and I know what to do.”

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Many Blessings.

I pray for your strength and resilience as you choose to parent with wisdom.