Personal Safety and Self Defense for children, teens and adults

News: Sample Press Release

SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

SAFETY TIPS

PHOTOS

SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE: KIDPOWER OFFERS SAFETY FOR CHILDREN & PEACE OF MIND FOR PARENTS

The recent attempted kidnapping of two children in the ________area reminds us that a parent’s worst nightmare can come true.  Although both of these children are safe, incidents of this kind tend to leave parents and other caring adults full of fear for their children.

According to Kidpower, a charitable educational organization, there are simple basic self-protection and boundary-setting skills that will keep our children safe most of the time.

“Although the subject is serious, our approach is upbeat and effective,” says Founder and Executive Director, Irene van der Zande. “We teach through learning by doing in an age appropriate fashion. We also teach adults how to practice these skills with their children.”

The KIDPOWER Book for Caring Adults gives essential information to adults on personal safety issues children face and then describes Kidpower's effective, practical and fun approach to teaching safety skills to children through interactive discussions, role-plays and stories. Information covers a wide variety of topics including: walking with awareness and confidence, knowing what a stranger is, getting help when lost or having a problem, dealing with hurtful words, saying no to unwanted touch, dealing with bullying, and what to do what if a child is abused.  The KIDPOWER Book can be purchased at www.kidpower.org, which also offers a wealth of free articles, an e-newsletter, and other information. In addition to publications, services, teacher training, parent education, and

Kidpower was started in Santa Cruz, California, in 1989 after Irene van der Zande stopped an attacker who was threatening to kidnap a group of young children, including her own, at the downtown bus station.  The organization has grown to serve over a million people form all walks of life in centers in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, India, and New Zealand.

For more information, or call 1-800-467-6997.

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KIDPOWER SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Note: The following  suggestions are excerpted from the KIDPOWER Book for Caring Adults.  The KIDPOWER Book can be purchased online at www.kidpower.org KIDPOWER International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching people of all ages and abilities to use their power to stay safe, act wisely, and believe in themselves.  For more information, call e-mail safety @kidpower.org, visit the web page at www.kidpower.org or call 1-800-467-6997.

Children can keep themselves safe most of the time. They just have to know how. Here are a few simple steps parents and other caring adults can follow to help their children stay safe as they grow and to protect them from harm.

Make sure everybody knows the plan. Prevent confusion and possible problems by reviewing the plan for what is going to happen every day, so each person involved with your child is on the same page about acceptable activities, what the rules are, what changes are okay, and who is supervising his or her care.

Teach children to Check First before they change their plan. Children are safest when their adults know WHAT they are doing, WHO they are with, and WHERE they are going. As soon as your child is old enough to understand, encourage the habit of asking you directly each time before anyone changes her or his plan.

Teach children how to set respectful strong boundaries with people they know. Most safety problems happen with people that children know and trust. Children need to be able to speak up with their friends, with their trusted adults, and with people in positions of authority such as teachers, youth group leaders, or doctors.

Make sure that children know how to get help everywhere they go. Make a list of everywhere your child is likely to go, of any safety problems that might come up, and of how he or she can get help if needed. Any Getting Help plan that depends on a cell phone needs a backup plan, just in case. Tell children that the rules are different if they are having the kind of emergency where they cannot check first because they are lost or hurt because they might need to get help from rangers, police officers, storekeepers, fire fighters, or other strangers.

Encourage children to tell you about their problems and their fears. A core Kidpower principle is that problems should not be secrets. Even if their worries sound silly or trivial, you want children to get into the habit of talking with their trusted adults and to believe that they will be listened to with respect and love.  Tell your child that you want to know anytime she or he has a problem, even if you seem very busy. Ask occasionally, “Is there anything you’ve been wondering or worrying about that you haven't told me?"

Teach children about stranger awareness. Tell children that most people are good, and that this means that most strangers are good, because a stranger is just someone you don't know. But while most strangers are good, some are not; it is important to be careful around all strangers and stick to their safety plan.  Their safety plan should be to Move Away and Check First with their trusted adults if a stranger approaches them when they are on their own.  Have children practice Checking First before they open the door to someone they don't know well, before they talk with a stranger, before they let a stranger get close to them, and before they take anything from a stranger, even their own things. If they are independent enough to be out on their own without an adult to check first with, teach children to Think First about whether or not it is safe to let someone they don't know come close to them, and teach them not to give personal information to strangers.

Give children the chance to practice People Safety skills in ways appropriate for their ages and life situations. Young people learn more by doing than by being told what to do. They are safest when they have successfully practiced how to protect themselves if someone tries to harm them or to get them to do something that is dangerous. Please visit www.kidpower.org for our articles, newsletter, educational publications, and services, as well as for information on how to choose an effective self-defense program.