Everyday rules to keep your child safe
Stats show why parents should fear the dangers of society.
Parents who have that tag of being over-protective have every reason to fear the dangers of society when it comes to the safety of their children.
Crime might have dropped slightly on a national level between April 2012 and March 2013 but there are crimes against a person in particular that cause mom and dad to be strict. And to be fair, they have a point, as statistics do not lie.
Compared to the 2012 crime stats in Roodepoort specifically, kidnapping and culpable homicide increased from 23 to 25 and 39 to 54 respectively, whereas sexual crimes increased from 224 to 265 and drug-related crimes from 229 to 273. Public violence also increased from 6 to 10 – the highest figure in nine years. The most shocking increase is that of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol from 94 to 294 – also the highest figure in nine years. (Statistics made available by the South African Police Service.)
According to Louis Grobler of Security in Practice (SIP) – a community anti-crime initiative – “The following are everyday rules to keep your children safe.
“Please make your child aware.”
• Always walk or play with a friend or friends. Always walk along streets you know, never take shortcuts through wooded areas or empty lots.
• If someone tries to grab hold of you or take you away, fight, kick and scream. Shout out loud: “Help! This is not my mom or dad!”
• Always tell your parents who you will be with, where you will be and when you will be home. Never talk to strangers, no matter how friendly they seem. Always stay at least an arm’s length away from a stranger.
• If you get separated from Mom or Dad in the store, go to the nearest sales person or uniformed security guard and ask for help.
• Never ever leave the store to go to the car or to look for Mom or Dad in the parking lot.
• If a car stops or slows down beside you, run in the direction from which the car came.
• Never get into a stranger’s car, even if they say someone you love is hurt or if they say they are supposed to pick you up. Your mom and dad would never send a stranger to fetch you.
