Is My Child Too Young For Crime Prevention?

It is never too early to start teaching children basic safety skills. Each day, we face opportunities where we as parents can use them to teach our children. I like to refer to them as "educational opportunities". These "educational opportunities" could be something you and your children observe together when you are at their school, the park or just sitting at home enjoying your favorite television show. At the moment you observe this "educational opportunity," stop and explain to your child what you are observing. Once it is finished, ask them to explain what they saw and what they think about it. Ask them what they would do in that situation. The answer they give will allow you to explain the positives or a "better" solution to the problem with an explanation why. Children learn information in a number of ways. The more we as parents use all the senses, eventually we understand how our children learn best. Here are some things you can start teaching your child at a young age:

• Never answer the telephone. Do you really want an unknown person hearing the voices of your child or asking them questions? Use the words, "let it ring, let it ring, let it ring" moving your head side to side. Children like to learn through sounds, hand signs and any other examples that make it a fun learning environment.
• When someone knocks, a child should never go to the door without an adult. A person could try to get them to open it. A better suggestion is to have the child stay in another room, so if the adult feels they need to open the door, the unknown person would not see the age of the child or know they live there.
• Teach them what an emergency is and when and how they should dial 9-1-1. Explain how we never dial this number unless we have an emergency and need the police and/or fire departments or an ambulance. Show them where on the telephone the numbers are. If you have a play telephone, have them practice on it.
• Teach them to keep the doors shut and locked. This will become an action they do without having to think about it. You can make it fun when explaining the reason and say to them, let's practice. "Keep the door shut and locked" while clapping your hands to make the sound of the door shutting and then using a turning motion with your hand to demonstrate turning the deadbolt lock. After a few repetitions, use your front door and as the child shut and locks the door, say "shut" as they shut it and "lock" as they lock it. Applaud their effort for positive reinforcement.
• To wear a bicycle helmet every time they ride bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, horses, or anything else with the potential to toss or throw them to the ground. An egg or similar item can be used to show the result of not wearing one. Help them understand that the brain is like a computer--it allows us to do the things we want to do like play, eat, laugh, talk and many more wonderful things. Parents should always wear their helmet to show by example.
• Teach children to always ask for permission before they go anywhere. It is difficult to make a child understand "strangers" when the majority of perpetrators are people known to them.
• Teach children to respond to situations and not people. Safety Kids, Inc. trains instructors who use "Charlie Check First" to memorize this point. "Charlie Check First" is a red stuffed check mark with eyes, hands and feet. He is used to teach children to "Always check first before you go anywhere, with anyone, at anytime and if you cannot check, the answer is NO!" You can use your hands to demonstrate by making a check mark with your finger.

A child's brain is always learning. Although life can have areas of gray, to a child they are black and white. We must continue to educate, lead by example, and communicate openly about all areas of safety. By starting at a young age, our children will always know they can ask you questions and you will provide them answers.

An article from Arizona Crime Prevention Association, Volume 5 Issue 1. January 2011. Articles submitted by Officer Kory Sneed, Scottsdale PD.