child safety in school essay

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Making Schools Safe for Students

High-profile school shootings, like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have raised concerns that schools can be dangerous places for students. Yet the data suggest that school crime rates have dropped nationwide since the early 1990s and that the student victimization rate declined by 70% from 1992 to 2013 ( see exhibit 1 ). [1]

To the general public, though, thoughts on school safety are often shaped by high-profile school shootings and other tragic incidents that dominate a news cycle. For educators, however, issues such as bullying, harassment, and school discipline policies are at the forefront of their thoughts and can affect school safety on a daily basis.

“It is very important that we continue working to understand and prevent mass shooter events,” said Phelan Wyrick, director of the Crime and Crime Prevention Research Division within NIJ’s Office of Research and Evaluation. “However, we cannot allow the saliency of mass shooter events to overshadow the importance of a wide range of more common safety issues that schools face.”

Shootings are just one of many traumatic events that children may face at school. They may also be threatened or injured by a weapon, be bullied, be physically assaulted, or be affected by natural disasters.

In support of stakeholder efforts to ensure that students are safe in school, NIJ has funded numerous initiatives over the years that evaluate school safety practices. These efforts range from how to prevent tragic incidents like school shootings to how to promote a positive school environment where day-to-day challenges, like bullying and harassment, can be reduced.

Historical School Safety Efforts

Although federal programs and policies related to school safety can be traced to the early 1970s, the United States did not begin collecting national data on school violence until 1989, [2] when the School Crime Supplement was added to the National Crime Victimization Survey. The School Crime Supplement was conducted for a second time in 1995 and then became a biannual survey starting in 1999.

A series of school shootings in the late 1990s, including the one that occurred at Columbine High School, led to new programs that examined the thinking, planning, and other pre-attack behaviors of school shooters. One such program was the Safe School Initiative led by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Secret Service.

As part of this initiative, NIJ supported a 2002 study that explored the behavior of student-attackers in an effort to identify information that could help communities prevent future attacks. [3] The study evaluated 37 incidents of targeted school violence in the United States between December 1974 and May 2000. It found that these 37 attacks were rarely sudden or impulsive. In 95% of the cases, the attacker had developed the idea to harm before the attack.

Perhaps most importantly, the study found that 93% of the evaluated attackers behaved in a way that caused others to be concerned or that indicated a need for help. In fact, in more than 75% of the cases examined, the attacker had told a friend, schoolmate, or sibling about the idea before taking action. But the person who was told about the attack rarely brought the information to an adult’s attention.

“That’s the critical element if we’re going to prevent, reduce, or head off these types of incidents from occurring,” Wyrick said. “We need to have mechanisms in place, school cultures amenable to folks reporting that information.”

The study also showed that there was no accurate profile of a school shooter. The shooters came from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and ranged in age from 11 to 21 years old. Some came from intact families with ties to the community and others came from foster homes with histories of neglect. The academic performance of attackers ranged from excellent to failing.

Evaluating School Safety Technology

School security measures have increased since the Columbine shooting. Today, nearly 100% of schools serving 12- to 18-year-olds use at least one safety or security measure. [4] This includes locked doors, security cameras, hallway supervision, controlled building access, metal detectors, and locker checks. However, use of these measures varies by factors such as the school’s population and location.

NIJ has long supported studies on school safety technology, including one by Sandia National Laboratories. Released in 1999, The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in U.S. Schools covered the effectiveness of a variety of school safety technologies. The report also provided basic guidelines for law enforcement agencies and school administrators as they decide which security technologies should be considered when developing safe school strategies. It helped schools and law enforcement partners analyze their vulnerability to violence, theft, and vandalism, and suggested possible technologies to address these problems effectively.

Overall, the report stated that security technologies are not the answer to all school security problems. No two schools will have identical and successful security programs, meaning that a security solution for one school cannot just be replicated at other schools with complete success. However, many pieces of technology can be excellent tools if applied appropriately.

More recently, NIJ has supported other school safety technology evaluations through the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI). This initiative includes a report from the Library of Congress outlining federal school safety efforts between 1990 and 2016 and two complementary projects by the RAND Corporation and Johns Hopkins University, which assess current school technology and outline school needs.

These CSSI reviews of school safety technology shared a major conclusion: No one technology, school climate intervention, or other school safety strategy can guarantee school security or eliminate the underlying cause of school violence. An integrated approach that includes emergency response plans, drills, a positive school climate, and situational awareness is called for, and school security plans must be tailored to the needs of each individual school.

Comprehensive School Safety Initiative

Safety and security technology is just one tool in a comprehensive program that each school should develop to create a safe learning environment for students and staff. NIJ’s CSSI aims to make clear that there is no one solution to ensuring students are safe in school.

Developed following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, CSSI is one of NIJ’s latest and largest investments in school safety research. Projects funded through CSSI examine different factors from the individual, school, community, and family levels that affect school safety.

A unique program of research for NIJ, CSSI provided funding for both implementation and evaluation as well as research projects that examine root causes. Under a directive from Congress, NIJ allocated approximately $75 million per year between fiscal years 2014 and 2017. Two-thirds of that funding went toward implementing school safety projects, and one-third went toward studying the impact of each program and the causes and consequences of school-related violence. Some CSSI projects have concluded and some are ongoing. They have covered or aim to address a wide range of school safety subjects, including school resource officer training, assessments of social media threats, bullying prevention, and positive behavioral interventions, among other topics.

This initiative will compile a large amount of information over a very short period of time, but the next few years will bring a wealth of knowledge on the effectiveness of school safety practices.

“We’re trying to move the field further and more quickly with so much information in such a short period of time,” said Mary Carlton, an NIJ social science analyst.

Through CSSI, NIJ has funded 96 studies with a focus on K-12 schools. These grant-funded projects are taking place in more than 30 states and more than 2,700 schools. The initial projects are still in the final stage, so it is too soon to assess the impact of the initiative. It may take six to seven years, if not longer, for the projects to reach their conclusions and for the results to be disseminated. Even after the last set of findings is published, taking that body of work and synthesizing it for the field may require another year or so of work, said Nadine Frederique, an NIJ senior social science analyst.

Moving Forward

School shootings are frightening and make headlines. However, today’s students are less likely to be threatened or injured with a weapon at school, including a gun, than they were 10 years ago.

But educators and public safety officials continue to grapple with the challenge of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for students. Threats to schools and student safety continue from both inside and outside the school and from adults and other individuals, including students.

NIJ has sponsored numerous studies on the issues of school safety and school climate over the past 25 years and continues to support efforts to improve the safety of students in school. The outcomes of CSSI-funded research will provide valuable context for school officials in the coming years. The 96 projects funded through this effort examine a variety of school safety issues and offer an opportunity for educators, the community, and law enforcement to better understand the factors that most affect school safety.

About This Article

This article was published as part of NIJ Journal issue number 281 , released June 2019

[note 1] National Institute of Justice, “ School Safety: By the Numbers ,” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, November 2017, NCJ 251173.

[note 2] Mary Poulin Carlton, Summary of School Safety Statistics , Comprehensive School Safety Initiative Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, July 2017, NCJ 250610.

[note 3] Robert Fein et al., Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates , Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, and U.S. Secret Service, National Threat Assessment Center, July 2004.

[note 4] Carlton, Summary of School Safety Statistics .

About the author

Blair Ames is a digital journalist and contractor with Leidos.

Cite this Article

Read more about:, related publications.

• Summary of School Safety Statistics
• NIJ Journal Issue No. 281

One-Third of Parents Fear for Their Child’s Safety at School

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After a year scarred by two mass shootings in high schools, 34 percent of parents fear for their child’s safety at school, a new poll finds, and just 27 percent are very confident or extremely confident about their school’s ability to deter a gunman.

Among a menu of safety proposals, parents are much more likely to favor armed police in schools and mental-health screenings than arming teachers and school staff.

Those findings come from an online poll of 515 parents of school-aged children commissioned by PDK International as part of a broader annual survey about American attitudes about education that is due out in August. The organization released the safety results early to inform ongoing discussions about school safety that have occupied educators and policymakers since the shooting attacks in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people were killed , and Santa Fe, Texas, where 10 were killed .

“There’s a real imperative to increase school safety and the public’s perception that children are safe at school,” Brian Osborne, the superintendent of the New Rochelle, N.Y., district, said in a phone call with reporters Monday, adding that leaders need to make changes in ways that “humanize students” and maintain welcoming school environments.

New Rochelle was thrust into a debate about school safety this year after students were involved in several stabbing attacks. One student was killed and another in an offsite attack, and another was injured in a high school classroom.

Parents Favor Armed Police in Schools

The percentage of parents concerned about school safety is even higher than the 2013 poll, which was conducted a few months after 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. That year, 12 percent of respondents said they feared for their child’s physical safety at school. That’s despite federal data that show rates of violent and non-violent student victimizations —incidents like theft and assault—have continued a multi-year decline. The 2018 poll was conducted May 1-21, a period that overlaps with the Texas school shooting.

Parents from households that make less than $50,000 a year and nonwhite parents are more likely to be concerned about their child’s safety at school, the poll finds. That may be because many children from lower-income families attend schools with fewer resources and student services, said pollster Gary Langer, who administered the 2018 poll on behalf of PDK.

“I think we’re seeing an impact of that, and it’s worth thinking about,” Langer said.

While 27 percent of respondents said they are extremely confident or very confident in their child’s school’s security in the event of a shooting, 41 percent are somewhat confident, and 31 percent said they are not so or not at all confident, the poll finds.

Asked what security proposals they support, 80 percent of parents favor armed police, 76 percent favor mental-health screenings, and 74 percent favor metal detectors at the entrances of schools.

Those are among the most popular proposals that have been circulated at the state and local levels since a former student killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14.

Florida quickly passed a broad school safety law after the shooting that called for placing a police officer or armed school staff member in every school. Some districts have struggled to meet that mandate. They include Broward County, home of Parkland, which initially rejected plans to arm staff but has since approved an armed guard program after concluding it could not quickly recruit and hire enough law enforcement officers. Broward County, the sixth largest school district in the country, has 234 schools.

Increasing mental-health and supportive services and identifying students who may pose a threat to themselves or others have also dominated the school safety debate in recent months.

Last week, the U.S. Secret Service released a guide to threat assessment , a process for screening and addressing student safety concerns.

In Texas, Gov. Gregg Abbott proposed expanding schools’ mental-health services as part of his safety recommendations .

The public’s support for such measures is in line with a result from last year’s PDK poll, in which 76 percent of respondents said schools should provide mental-health services.

Districts Struggle to Provide Student Support Services

Those findings come at a time when many cash-strapped schools struggle to provide student supports. Nationwide, schools provided one school counselor for every 464 students, the most recent federal data show. That’s well above the ratio recommended by the National School Counselor Assocation, one counselor for every 250 students.

The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one school psychologist for every 500-700 students, but the organization’s most recent analysis shows the ratio is closer to 1:1400 nationwide.

In the context of this year’s poll, “mental health” does not refer strictly to individuals with diagnosed mental-health conditions, said Joshua Starr, the CEO of PDK International. Rather, it can be applied to a range of broader issues, including student intent and need for support.

The purpose of mental health services in schools extends beyond screening out dangerous students, said Katherine Minke, the executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists.

“There is, I think, a lack of recognition that kids who are feeling unsafe, kids who have experienced traumatic events…they’re not in a position to learn,” she said. “Unless we pay attention to their behavior and mental health, they won’t be able to learn.”

Parental Support for Armed Teachers

Parent support for mental health screenings and common safety measures, like metal detectors and school police, is much higher than support for arming teachers and school staff, an idea pushed by President Donald Trump after the Florida shooting. Several states, including Texas, already allow screened and trained teachers to carry concealed weapons in the classroom.

Just 37 percent of parents polled say they support “allowing armed teachers/staff,” the poll finds. That increased to 49 percent when respondents were asked if they would favor arming teachers and staff who met some conditions, including “80 hours of training on the use of force, weapons proficiency, legal issues and first aid; and approval by the school board and local law enforcement.”

Among all parents, 26 percent said having armed staff would make their child more safe at school, compared to 36 percent who said it would make their child less safe. Republicans and gun owners are more likely to support such measures.

Osborne, the New Rochelle superintendent, said school safety requires a balance.

“Making our school buildings into fortresses could also be counterproductive in making students and parents feel less welcome at school,” he said, adding that students are less likely to seek help and report concerns when they don’t trust their school’s environment.

The New Rochelle district responded to concerns following the student stabbings by immediately putting police officers in the high school’s hallways to “re-establish a level of authority,” Osborne said.

It also trained staff to identify students “who may be prone to resolving conflicts with violence,” and the district is in ongoing talks about adding officers to its only high school on a more permanent basis.

Parent preferences identified in the PDK poll will require schools to prioritize how they spend money and force some to seek out new funds, Osborne said.

His district proposed in May a 4 percent local tax increase that would increase student support services, school counselors and social workers, and security measures in schools. Because the proposed tax increase exceeded a 2 percent state cap, it required approval from 60 percent of voters. The measure failed.

“We thought that, given the public’s demand for increased mental health services, and the obvious need for it here in New Rochelle, that we would have a compelling case,” Osborne said.

A revised version of the district’s budget, which eliminated plans for new psychologists and social workers, was later approved by voters.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Issues in Education — Importance Of School Safety

Importance of School Safety

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Words: 589 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 589 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, 1. physical security measures, 2. emotional well-being, 3. positive school culture, 4. preventive measures.

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Essay on Safety in School

Students are often asked to write an essay on Safety in School in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Safety in School

Importance of safety.

Safety in school is crucial. It ensures a secure environment for students to learn and grow.

Physical Safety

Physical safety includes maintaining a clean and hazard-free environment. Regular checks of school premises prevent accidents.

Emotional Safety

A supportive environment helps students express themselves without fear. It encourages positive interactions and respect.

Online Safety

With digital learning, online safety is vital. It includes protecting personal information and avoiding harmful content.

Role of Everyone

Everyone plays a role in school safety. Students, teachers, and parents must work together to create a safe learning environment.

250 Words Essay on Safety in School

Introduction.

Safety in schools is paramount to foster an environment conducive to learning and development. Safeguarding the physical and emotional well-being of students is a collective responsibility involving educators, parents, and the students themselves.

Physical safety in schools involves ensuring that the premises are secure and free from hazards. This includes regular inspections of school buildings and facilities, implementing fire safety measures, and ensuring safe food handling practices. Moreover, schools should have an effective emergency response plan in place for situations such as natural disasters or violent incidents.

Emotional safety is equally important in cultivating a nurturing learning environment. This includes implementing policies against bullying and harassment, promoting inclusivity, and providing mental health support. Schools should foster a culture of respect and empathy, where students feel safe to express themselves without fear of judgement or ridicule.

Role of Technology

Advancements in technology can play a significant role in enhancing safety in schools. Surveillance systems, access control measures, and digital platforms for reporting concerns can help maintain a secure environment. Additionally, online platforms can provide resources for mental health support and promote positive interactions among students.

In conclusion, safety in schools is a multifaceted issue that requires ongoing attention and effort. It is essential to strike a balance between physical and emotional safety, and to leverage technology to enhance these efforts. By doing so, schools can ensure that they provide a safe and supportive environment where students can thrive.

500 Words Essay on Safety in School

Safety in schools is a matter of paramount importance. As educational institutions, schools serve not only as a place for academic learning but also as a space where students develop social skills and emotional intelligence. Ensuring a safe and secure environment is crucial to facilitate this holistic growth.

The Importance of Safety in Schools

A safe learning environment is a fundamental right of every student. It directly impacts their academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. A secure environment instills a sense of belonging, making students feel comfortable and confident in expressing themselves. It also encourages regular attendance, as students are more likely to engage in learning when they feel safe.

Physical safety in schools encompasses several aspects. Firstly, school buildings should adhere to safety standards to prevent accidents. Regular maintenance checks of infrastructure, including classrooms, laboratories, and playgrounds, are essential. Secondly, schools must have plans in place for emergencies like fires, natural disasters, or health crises. Regular drills can ensure students and staff are well-prepared for such situations. Lastly, schools should emphasize the importance of personal safety and hygiene, especially in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emotional and Psychological Safety

While physical safety is often the primary focus, emotional and psychological safety are equally important. Schools should foster an environment free from bullying, discrimination, and harassment. Incorporating social-emotional learning into the curriculum can help students understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

The digital age has brought with it new safety concerns. With the increasing use of technology in education, online safety has become a critical issue. Schools need to educate students about responsible digital citizenship, including the risks of sharing personal information online, the potential for cyberbullying, and the importance of reporting inappropriate online behavior.

Role of Stakeholders

Ensuring safety in schools is a collective responsibility. Administrators need to establish clear safety protocols and invest in necessary infrastructure upgrades. Teachers play a critical role in creating a respectful classroom environment and implementing safety guidelines. Parents must reinforce these safety measures at home and keep open lines of communication with the school. Lastly, students themselves play a vital role in adhering to safety norms and reporting any breaches.

Safety in schools is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive approach. It involves physical safety, emotional and psychological well-being, and online security. By fostering a culture of safety and respect, schools can create an environment where students feel secure, leading to improved academic performance, better mental health, and a more positive school experience. As we navigate through an increasingly complex world, the importance of safety in schools cannot be overstated.

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Safe to Learn: An Essay Collection

VIEW THE ESSAY COLLECTION IN ENGLISH HERE AND FRENCH HERE .

Violence against children occurs on an unimaginable scale. It happens in every country and every community, and it undermines children’s health, education and development. 

Schools should be a safe place for children to learn and play, but that is far from the reality for many children. It is estimated that 246 million girls and boys experience violence and abuse at or on the way to/from school every year. 

Violence takes many forms including physical, psychological and sexual, each affecting girls and boys in different ways, and more than ever it is being amplified online. Bullying by peers, sexual abuse by educators, and violent attacks on schools put children at risk in the very place that should protect them, nurture their learning, and help them flourish. 

Education can be transformative – it lifts people out of poverty, helps change harmful social norms, supports health and wellbeing and fosters peaceful societies. But widespread violence in and around schools is dramatically undermining this transformational power of education, leaving millions of children living in fear every day and limiting their potential.

We need to examine and tackle the causes of different forms of violence in and around schools, and how environments which enable such violence are able to develop and take hold. 

“We must hear perspectives from all of the people who have lived the reality of violence, including children and young people, and those who can and are making decisions today that could help put an end to the violence.

This is why the Safe to Learn initiative and End Violence Partnership are publishing the Safe To Learn essay collection . Together, they provide a holistic insight into the problem and its impact – and the solutions. The contributors represent a range of voices and perspectives that include: global education leadership, government perspectives (donor and domestic), teachers, youth and civil society.

This essay collection is being launched at the margins of the Transforming Education Pre-Summit . The UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit process this year provides a unique opportunity for political leaders to forge a new social contract for education - one where violence prevention is right at the heart of efforts to accelerate progress on education. The Summit represents a pivotal moment for children, their safety and their futures. 

We know the impact violence in schools is having and we know what works to stop it. Through Safe to Learn, the End Violence Partnership welcomes the ideas set out in these essays and the efforts being made by these partners, and many more, to end violence against children. It is our hope that leaders listen to what is being articulated in this essay collection and work to urgently scale-up efforts in every country and community so that every child is safe to learn.

THE COLLECTION:

With a foreword from Joy Phumaphi, Board Co-Chair, End Violence Partnership , the collection features discussions on a range of topics:

H.E.  President Jakaya Kikwete, Chair of the Global Partnership for Education makes the case that the global community must put a greater political focus on ending violence in and around schools, and sets out four steps world leaders can take to achieve this goal

Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General  for Education speaks to how the culture of peace starts with safe and non-violent learning environments and examines how these can be achieved.

Dr Wajih Mousa Owais, Jordanian Minister of Education provides insightful reflections on what can be done by ministries to facilitate an education system that promotes safe and peaceful learning, examining efforts currently being taken by his Ministry, including engaging children and young people in the process.

Helen Grant  MP , the UK  Prime Minister’s  Special Envoy for Girls’ Education argues that violence in schools is preventable and shares examples of approaches and programmes which are having a positive impact to reduce violence and could be scaled up in other countries and contexts.

Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait examines the escalated risk of violence in and around schools in conflict and crisis contexts, and argues that children and young people who are in the most dangerous environments on earth must be prioritised.

Dr. Daniela Ligiero, Executive Director of Together for Girls  examines the unique perspective of survivors of violence and sexual abuse. She offers a powerful personal reflection on the increasing impact of survivor-led efforts to end violence and speaks to the increase in data emerging in this space, notably through the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS).

Jospehine Kamara, a Global Partnership for Education Youth Leader from Sierra Leone discusses her own experience of violence from a tutor and argues that young people must have a central role in decision-making to ensure their safety and their ability to access a safe education. She examines how the issue specifically affects girls and how this is limiting the potential for millions of girls to learn and thrive.

Baguma Filbert  Bates, Secretary-General of the Teachers Union in Uganda   examines the critical role of teachers and school management, and sets out practical efforts being made including promoting positive discipline through teacher training.

Reverend Keishi Miyamoto, President of Arigatou International discusses the importance of social and emotional learning being integrated into curricula around the world, to give young people the skills to respond to differences with tolerance and acceptance, and thereby prevent peer-to-peer violence in schools.

Mark Finnis,  an   author and  Director of L30 Relational Systems discusses the role restorative practice can play in preventing conflict developing in the classroom.

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• Rev Lat Am Enfermagem
• v.22(4); Jul-Aug 2014

Child safety from the perspective of essential needs

Débora falleiros de mello.

1 PhD, Associate Professor, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Nayara Cristina Pereira Henrique

Letícia pancieri, maria de la Ó ramallo veríssimo.

3 PhD, Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Vera Lúcia Pamplona Tonete

4 PhD, Professor, Departamento de Enfermagem, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, SP, Brazil

Mary Malone

5 PhD, Professor, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College, London, England

to characterize the maternal care for children under one year of age with a view to child health promotion at home.

exploratory study with qualitative data analysis, thematic mode, based on the conceptual framework of the essential needs of children, based on interviews recorded with 16 mothers.

the analysis of the maternal narratives showed elements that facilitate the promotion of child safety: presence and involvement of the parents, constant surveillance for physical and emotional protection, experiences to stimulate child development, support networks for childcare at home; and inhibiting elements of child safety: limited perception of characteristics of child development and of children's singularities, overprotection and difficulties to set limits.

CONCLUSION:

the study enhances the understanding of home care in child health promotion, directing professional actions to guarantee ongoing nurturing relationships, protection, respect for individual differences, experiences appropriate to child development, limit setting and construction of stable and supportive social networks. In addition, the relevance of considering the maternal perspective in child health care is considered, as a strategy to apprehend aspects related to the attendance of the growth and development needs, particularly for child health promotion at home.

Introduction

The safety and protection of children and their implications for health are current themes in research ( 1 - 5 ) , and the study of child safety has also stood out, given the range of morbidity and mortality levels due to external causes in childhood ( 3 ) , the importance of safe practices at home ( 4 ) , the concern with the quality of the environment the child lives on and the impact on his/her development ( 5 ) . Thus, the promotion of child health in the domestic sphere is extremely relevant and represents a challenge for health professionals ( 3 ) , especially in the context of primary health care.

The actions focused on child health should be associated not only with survival, but mainly with the person's holistic development. Childcare, particularly in the first years of life, is fundamental for them to grow and develop healthily, be physically healthy, emotionally safe and respected as social subjects ( 6 ) . In the growth and development process, it is essential to acknowledge the double importance of physical and emotional health ( 1 ) .

In primary health care, childcare, with regard to health promotion, including child safety, aims to guarantee child growth and development monitoring and surveillance, with care integrality and longitudinality, and mainly considering maternal and family values ( 7 ) . The knowledge and reflections about the subjects' needs, which often go by unnoticed or are reduced to demands modulated by health service supplies ( 8 ) , are vital for the understanding and feasibility of the care process. Therefore, it is fundamental for the professionals to appropriately acknowledge the individuals' needs and offer resources to attend to these needs.

Aspects of child care and safety, in view of the children's needs, have been hardly disseminated, particularly of children living in contexts of socioeconomic deprival and cultural diversity, with high levels of unattended health needs ( 1 , 9 ) and injury risks ( 4 ) . Admitting the vital role of caregivers in the management of injury risks for small children ( 4 ) , it is relevant to investigate what care is performed to attend to their health and safety needs in those contexts, given their potential for unsafe environments. In that sense, the objective in this investigation was to characterize the maternal care for children of less than one year of age with a view to child health promotion at home, under precarious social conditions.

Exploratory study with qualitative data analysis, based on the conceptual framework of the essential needs of the children ( 10 ) .

The conceptual framework of the essential needs of the children in the health promotion framework involves the apprehension of the needs into: Need for ongoing nurturing relationships; need for physical protection, safety and regulation; need for experiences tailored to individual differences; Need for experiences appropriate to child development; Need for limit setting, structure and expectations; Need for stable and supportive communities and cultural continuity ( 10 ) .

The need for ongoing nurturing relationships refers to the presence of the child's caregiver and the form of constant interaction with the child, through physical care and affective interactions. The need for physical protection and safety aims to guarantee favorable conditions to maintain the child's physical and physiological integrity, involving food, hygiene, sleep, shelter, movements, growth and development monitoring, support for healthy habits and protection against infections and accidents, as well as regulations based on laws and other measures that protect the child against physical, social and environmental damage. The need for experiences tailored to individual differences is related to the supply of care particular to each child, excluding any form of standardized expectation. The need for experiences appropriate to child development involves actions to stimulate and add new interactions to an evolutionary process of each child's individual demand, allowing the children to gain self-confidence and feel accepted, cared for and loved. The need for limit setting, structure and expectations refers to the establishment of appropriate limits, encouragement and acknowledgement of the children's accomplishments, cooperating for the children to be able to empathize, through affect, safety and bonding. The need for stable and supportive communities and cultural continuity is linked to the concept that community and culture are foundations for the development of children and their family, considering the care, educational and health aspects in their social network, for the children to gain the feeling of belonging to the family and community ( 10 ) . The set of these needs entails relevant implications for the promotion of the child's health and physical and emotional safety.

This research was undertaken in Ribeirão Preto-SP-Brazil, in the coverage area of a family health service that belongs to the public primary care network, which attends to a population of about 3800 predominantly young people, whose families live in precious conditions, including immigrant families.

For the data collection, meetings were held with the professionals from the health services, during which it was verified that there were 27 families in the coverage area with children of less than one year coming from immigrant families. On these occasions, it could be verified that the mothers' life stories were marked by a lot of adversity. In general, their education level was low, they lived in slum regions and came from interior cities in the following Brazilian states: Bahia, Goiás, Maranhão, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Pará and Piauí. The inclusion criteria were: mothers of children under one year registered and monitored at the selected family health service, coming from different Brazilian regions and living in slum regions. The exclusion criteria were: mothers with mental health problems, moving from the coverage area of the selected health service and interrupting the child health monitoring during the first year of life.

Among the 27 families, 11mothers did not participate in this research (seven were not located after three attempted home visits and four moved from the coverage area of the family health service). The 16 mothers included in the study were between 17 and 29 years of age, with less than eight years of education, and had lived in the city between two months and 15 years. The data collection was based on interviews, which were recorded and held at the participants' homes in 2012. The interviews departed from the following guiding questions: In daily life, what has the care for your son/daughter been like? In your opinion, what are his/her health needs?

The data analysis, based on thematic content analysis, involved the pre-analysis (reading of empirical material to map the reports and meanings the subjects attributed); analysis of the meanings (identification of senses and meanings); elaboration of themes (synthesis of empirical material) and final analysis (discussion of themes) ( 11 ) . For analytic purposes, thematic units were constructed to apprehend the maternal experiences in care for the child and his/her safety and to identify aspects of the essential needs, highlighting that they do not appear in isolation, but are interwoven and indicate the presence of multiple dimensions for health care.

Approval for the research was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee, in compliance with the recommendations for research involving human beings, with explicit acceptance of the participants through the Free and Informed Consent Form, opinion 439/CEP/CSE-FMRP-USP.

The results were grouped in thematic units that translate the main care the interviewees reported, linked to the promotion of their children's safety: Ongoing nurturing relationships; Physical protection and safety; Experiences appropriate to child development; Limit setting; Stable and supportive communities.

Ongoing nurturing relationships

The participants discussed what they consider important for the child to grow and develop in the first year of life, highlighting the relevance of the mother and father's loving presence and engagement in daily care for the child.

Having the monitoring of the mother and father around. I think that is very important, the mother and father together. (E2)

What's important is to be patient, thoughtful, very kind and loving. (E6)

I think it's the education I give. It depends on me for them to grow up as good people, on my part and his father's part. (E5)

The presence of the caregiver and people from the family context is considered to promote the child's safety, as they are trustworthy with a view to an effective care relation.

I am very concerned with whom I am going to leave them with [the children] . When my mother [maternal grandmother] is unavailable I don't leave them with anyone. I am afraid of hitting, mistreating, pinching, jumping meal times, those things. (E6)

It was not that hard to know how to take care of him, because my mother was nearby, I had the family, I was near his mother [paternal grandmother] who helped me a lot, it was no problem. (E7)

Physical and psychological aspect of child safety at home can be visualized and suggest that the mothers and children need proximity. There are concerns with childcare in order to guarantee favorable conditions to maintain their physical and emotional integrity, in search of nurturing relationships.

Physical protection and safety

The reports contain aspects related to hygiene, food, disease and accident prevention, which the mothers consider important in daily childcare to prevent diseases.

Although my house is messy, I take great care with their [children] hygiene. I keep watching everything so he doesn't put it in his mouth, so as not to forget about bathing times. For now, I avoid contact with animals, because he likes ducks and dogs a lot. So you have to keep a close eye. I wash his hands a lot. I try not to let him get barefoot. My mother says that, during the first days, you shouldn't get into the cold, avoid letting him near many people. Sometimes, some flue, something passes easily. (E6)

I avoid going out at night, in the dew. The things older people say, you know? 'Don't do this, don't do that'. I even take care of my food? I take care of myself. Because the people say: look, that will give the baby cramps, then I don't eat it. I am trying to eat the healthiest possible things. The vaccines he is taking also protect. (E3)

I take good care, don't leave him barefoot, without clothes. I don't give cold baths so as not to catch a cold. (E11)

The reports also expressed care through concrete actions in terms of domestic accident prevention, such as: avoiding falls, choking and intake of substances or objects, so as to guarantee the child's physical safety and watch out for signs of health problems.

I always take care of him, I don't leave him near the bedside, I am always taking care of him. I check whether there's some spot on his body, what it is like, you know? (E1)

When she slept, I always put her on her side so she wouldn't choke. I took great care to give a bath, so as not to drown or slide. I avoided leaving things she could drink or eat, you know? I put them in a higher place. (E5)

Always keeping a close eye on her and never leaving anything small on the floor. Because, as she's crawling, she takes it and can choke on it. I am watching all the time. (E11)

The care the mothers indicate allows them to promote their children's safety, choosing constant maternal surveillance as a strategy for the early detection of problems at home.

Besides the care to protect the children, the interviewees highlight the care aimed at preventing mistreatment in childhood, whether due to neglect or physical violence.

Not taking the child to the doctor, not taking good care, leaving the child completely dowdy at home, not treating the food properly, abandoning the child. That's mistreatment and won't do her any good. (E14)

There can't be mistreatment, taking away the childhood. Keep on depriving her [child] from playing, depriving from a lot of things, as I see people slapping, what idea does she have of that? You're going to hit her for what? What judgment does she have? I think these things inhibit the child from growing . (E13)

The mothers indicate actions and some important behaviors for childcare, mentioning forms of interaction that are improbable to promote good emotional development. They also demonstrate caution to offer physical and emotional protection to the child and indicate attitudes that can guarantee the continuity of their safety.

Experiences appropriate to child development

The interviewees characterize aspects of the care they deliver as important because they are focused on development, as well as other experiences of the children, which stimulate and add new interactions and learning in the child's daily life.

Since birth everything you do is to develop the child. If you talk in the cradle it is to develop, if you put her on your lap when you are breastfeeding and talking, all that is for the child's development. (E13)

I noticed that, after she [child] started in kindergarten she got smarter. It seems she develops faster, she's talking more. (E16)

They also indicate the importance of having access to the appropriate forms of stimulation for the child, according to the phase of his/her development.

The interviewed women reported aspects regarding the children's protection, mentioning the aspects that guarantee their rights.

The child has the right to play, to have fun. (E11)

She [child] has to learn what is right and wrong since a very young age, just by talking and teaching. (E13)

Dialogue and play appear as important tools to maintain the care environment healthy and to give opportunity to the children's singularities. The maternal narratives signal the daily care that cooperate to gain the child's trust, related to gaining self-confidence and to how to feel accepted, heard and cared for.

Limit setting

That is one of the areas of need in which conflicts or controversies appear. The participants indicate the importance of setting limits and choices, checking in daily care what contributes to the child's appropriate development. But, at the same time, there are difficulties to set limits, with moments of overprotection, as well as to accept some choices of the child, leading to the imposition of certain care, justified by the understanding that the mother knows what is best for the child.

In my way of thinking, I think she already has the right to choose what she wants. If she does not want to eat what I oblige her, when it's something good or when it tastes bad, I oblige her to eat. For me it's good, but for her, she thinks it isn't, but I oblige her. Now, like, when she wants to sleep I respect her space, I put her to sleep. (E5)

She sleeps with me. So, I think that, even if she sleeps at night in her bed, I won't be able to sleep, because I'll be watching. Even more because it's cold. (E3)

One aspect that should be highlighted is that children under one year of age, when they sleep with adults, can be exposed to vulnerable situations.

Stable and supportive communities

The reports indicate the relevance of a support network with professionals from the public Health, Education and Social Service sectors, which help with childcare.

I think it's easy to take care because I already left the hospital with all information. They taught me a lot. (E5)

I do everything the doctors recommend. Now she [child] has bronchiolitis. So you need to take care all the time. (E10)

Whenever I have some doubt or something happens and my child does not have an appointment, I call the unit and talk to the nurse, I can solve my doubts, my uncertainties. (E15)

A strong trait of support that was mentioned derives from the health services, with timely access to qualified information for health maintenance.

Reference was made to the need for support for maternal development, with a view to the best childcare.

If I have education, I'll be able to transmit something to my daughter and she'll be able to complement it in school, it will get easier for her. So I think she'll be able to learn much more. (E3)

It seems that, because we study, we get more information. And, when we don't, we don't have any information. So, you take good care, but not as well as who studies. (E5)

The reports suggest that the support networks, considering education, health, family structure and work, constitute frameworks for the growth and development of the children and their families, in order to seek healthy and trustworthy conditions. At times of uncertainty, the health professionals give directions on the care offered and positive references for the mothers.

In the narratives, there are no noteworthy specificities related to the living conditions. The mothers reported care concerning the safety of all children, independently of their social situation, showing themselves generally capable of providing that care. When referring to their low education level, however, they indicated a feeling of inability to attend to the child's needs more completely, which they aim to compensate for with the support of the health services.

This study shows the importance of acknowledging the parents' participation and responsibility in childcare. In line with other studies ( 1 - 2 ) , the narratives are coherent with the idea that the parents, especially the mothers, represent reference figures in childhood, with interaction as the base for the children to build their identity and safety. Because of the dependence inherent in the early stages of the lifecycle, the family has a structural role in attending to the children's needs, such as: food, warmth, shelter, protection and an environment in which they can develop their physical, mental and social skills to a maximum ( 1 ) .

In daily care at home, according to the maternal perspectives, measures that prevent diseases and other health problems should be prioritized, always keeping an adult alert. Thus, the need for small children to be supervised by careful adults is acknowledged, who should make insightful choices of material and equipment and promote proper modifications in the environment with a view to child safety ( 2 ) . In fact, many non-intentional (accidents) and intentional (violence) physical injuries happen at home, which implies the need to hold the caregivers accountable for their prevention in that context ( 3 ) .

The mothers' acknowledgement of the dependence on this permanent supervisory care can be considered appropriate given the children's age range in this study. Nevertheless, the idea is perceived that small children are completely incapable of protecting themselves, culminating in maternal behavior of putting the child to sleep with her for example. This reveals an understanding of child development that can be improved with a view to the promotion of relations that gradually favor the child's autonomy and guarantee his/her safety. The family needs to be prepared to acknowledge the child's development phases and demands, helping to reduce and cope with frustrations.

In the maternal narratives, concerns with acts of violence against the children are observed, showing some vision to deal with the social conditions. Poverty is considered one cause of violence against children ( 12 ) , resulting from a combination of personal, family, social, economic, political and cultural factors. In the reports, the mothers indicate that they are doing their best within their possibilities, with daily care for the child according to their values and worldviews. That is a positive aspect, as the parents and relatives' good relationship with the children represents a protection factor against violence, besides protection in the development of the child's potentials ( 1 ) . The results support that other factors, besides financial and social factors, can be related to the child's safety at home. Hence, even in adverse situations, violence against children may not be committed, suggesting that other strategies can be developed to overcome the social conditions.

It should be highlighted that effective communication and interaction with the children promote their appropriate growth and development. Therefore, an upbringing that guarantees emotional safety is fundamental. Safe environments during the first years of life are related to interactions with key adults and caregivers, as well as with appropriate opportunities for growth, development and learning ( 2 , 6 ) . Human brain development is influenced by the environment and by the relations established in early childhood, and the facilitating caregiver-child interactions include emotionally positive attitudes, sensitivity, responsiveness and non-use of physical punishments ( 5 ) .

In the promotion of healthy development, at different times in their life, children gain certain skills and experiences. Therefore, the parents' understanding is important, as rushing children in a certain skill or stage of life can often make them slower ( 10 ) . In addition, the parents should know that individual differences are part of the children's development and that the care should be adapted to these differences ( 10 ) .

In the childcare process, it is important to know the aspects linked to support and the social network, with people and institutions the parents seek in daily life and in their historical context. The mothers highlight the children's insertion in kindergarten as a support for their growth and development. The mothers sought interactions to help with childcare, seeking health services for occasional care, schedules appointments or to solve doubts. At those moments, the health professionals become references for them, highlighting the role of Nursing. Similarly, Nursing is responsible for transforming these contacts into opportunities to fully analyze the children and their families ( 7 ) . Child health monitoring that stimulates bonding among child, family and service is vital to prevent problems and promote health, besides creating the possibility for expanded and shared care between family and health services ( 7 ) .

The social networks are considered articulated sets of relations between the subjects and institutions, and what is expected is that they get consolidated in long-lasting interactions ( 13 - 14 ) . Special attention should be paid to the predominant communication standards in the different communities, in which social and community standards and values can mold the mother-child interactions ( 15 ) . In this study, the maternal narratives show that the construction of strong bonds with the families offers support, but it is important that this is real and truly part of their social network. The construction of long-lasting bonds can be achieved through supportive interactions, following courses the professionals can and should take to encourage and expand the childcare opportunities in their growth and development process. Thus, a strengthened network promotes supportive interactions for the family in childcare ( 10 ) . Nurses in general guide the parents in making important choices at times of transition, which mold subsequent trajectories in their own and their children's life, giving responses to the vulnerabilities and support to the parents to protect the children ( 16 ) . In that sense, the skills to allocate resources and strategies to the essential health needs ( 8 , 17 ) are fundamental, knowing and evaluating the family needs ( 18 ) with a view to the reduction of social inequities ( 5 , 17 ) .

The health professionals are responsible for enhancing the family's position in the interactions, sharing knowledge and granting support to counter social, individual and institutional vulnerabilities.

In this study, the elements could be apprehended that facilitate child health promotion at home: the presence and engagement of the parents, constant surveillance for physical and emotional protection; experiences to stimulate child development, nurturing networks for child health care; and the elements that inhibit child safety: limited perception of child development characteristics and singularities of the child, overprotection and difficulties to set limits. In addition, the relevance of considering the maternal perspective on daily childcare was reaffirmed, as a strategy to apprehend aspects related to attendance to the needs to promote growth and development, particularly the promotion of child safety at home.

The children's safety, permeated by the essential needs, contributes to an effective balance in their growth and development and the elements identified here are important for clinical practice in primary health care.

It should be highlighted that child safety is a complex research problem. Expansion to other studies is needed with a view to observing the care and mechanisms through which the interventions can reduce injuries at home, based on the essential and special needs for comprehensive child health care.

Child Safety Essay Example

There are several kinds of essays one could write about, but there are few consequential types that needs proper consideration. The main importance of an essay is to reach the audience, and communicate without actually having to see them. That is why, a child safety essay is directed to parents who are the audience.

To make a successful essay about child safety, all you have to do is act like you are having a real conversation with the parents or guardians. This makes things even easier for you because you know what to say and how to say it. What most people find difficult in writing essays become easy for you because you have an idea on what to write about.

What Is Child Safety?

Child safety is the job of protecting kids. This falls to caregivers and parents, and it is their responsability to familiarize themselves with the all kinds of safety risks in and around their communities and homes. Your essay could be about one of these topics we mentioned below.

• Teen Driving
• Water Safety
• Child Passenger Safety
• Child Proofing
• Lead Poisoning
• Safety at School
• Playground Safety
• Concussions
• Window Safety
• Staying Safe Outdoors

Before starting to write your assignment, make sure you understand what is your goal. Are you writing about toddlers or teens? Pick one of the topics we mentioned and imagine what is the journey of your character. Are you writing for parents and caregivers? Who do you want to convince?

Outline Of An Essay For Child Safety

A child safety essay writing has a specific outline even though they follow the same pattern of most common types of essays, i.e., Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Below is the child safety essay outline in order to construct a perfect child essay.

Choose A Topic

The first thing anyone who loves writing does is to pick a convenient topic he or she is convenient with. Try one of the topics we outlined just a few moments who. It must be a topic that is familiar, relatable, so he or she can communicate effectively with the audience. There are many child safety essay topics to choose from; one may be relating to health, others could be directed to academics, and another to the home. It all varies, and depends on what you are great at writing. If you are someone whose forte is about health, having an essay for child safety as regard health will be interesting and easy for you. However, you must pick an easy to read topic, one that is easily assimilable, so that, your audience won’t have issues trying to understand what you are saying. All this is important to consider because it determines what the content of the essay tells about child safety.

Make Proper Research

After deciding on a topic, the next thing you should do is make proper research and get your facts right. The topic is a guide on what to write, and it can be done in so many ways. One way is consulting online articles, knowing there are lots of them which are in different categories. There is definitely something available to guide you through your topic. Another way is by reading books; this is a way of not limiting your mind. Generally, books give enough information with a form of author-to-writer relationship. Remember, you haven’t started penning down what you want to write about, just research for facts and figures. People underestimate the power of research, but it should be known that no writer delves into writing without making research on the topic from different sources first using any medium. However, if you are making an essay for child safety, it is good if you consult more than one source during your research.

Construct Body In A Simple Tone

Making research then leads you to do another thing, and that is the construction of the body or content. Anyone can write, but what differentiate writers is the ability to structure ideas in a more organized manner. Often, the three parts of writing include; the introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction consists of what people are to expect from the article with a brief or concise detail about what you are about to write. Sometimes, it should come with phrases that introduce people to the body. The body on the other end, contains the entire information about the topic. They are divided into paragraphs with each of them having a topic sentence and subordinate sentences; even bullet points are added. Lastly, it ends with a conclusion which is the summary of what has been writing with final remarks or advice.

However, there are important things to consider in the body. It should be in a simple, plain or friendly tone knowing you are writing an essay about child safety. This is because you want your audience (parents) to understand your point and how crucial it is at the same time. This also applies to a child safety argumentative essay where you hold your grounds or points in a friendly manner. Make your points, and end well with people understanding your perspective on the topic.

Check Grammar

One thing every good writer doesn’t want to make are mistakes. Although, they are unavoidable, it is still great if you can do something about the grammar or sentence constructions. Grammar adds the special effect to the whole thing you have written, and if it doesn’t make sense, then the content is flawed. That is why, it is always good to check before you make any move. Use appropriate words that can be easily understood. While you are mindful of the words you use, your punctuations, and how you reference from other sites to avoid blind-lifting is also important. Now, it is not a big deal if you are not competent enough to check them, especially in child safety essay writing, you can seek the help of a friend that understands, or a professional, or a better still, use online platforms like Grammarly. These online platforms may not be right sometimes, but at least, they can do their job to some point and leave the rest for you to figure out.

Review and Deliver

When you are done writing your essay, what is next for you to do is a final review and then delivery. Proofread what you have written, whether it makes sense or not. This is the final chance to go through what you have written, to spot on errors, and ensure you have covered what you are meant too. If you are not satisfied, it is good for you to pause a little bit on submission or delivery. Also, take a look at your paragraphs, are they properly organized? If after all these, you are confident about the quality of your child safety essay, then you can submit.

What Are The Topics You Can Write On Child Safety?

After a detailed explanation on how a child safety essay outline should be, it will be nice if you are introduced to some of the few child safety essay examples. Below are the topics you can write on;

Home Safety Topics

Children spend more time at home more than any place. In fact, they run the risk of facing challenges the most at home, and that is why thorough supervision of both parents or guardian is advised. Here, as a writer, you are to draw topics from several events that happen in the home, and not anywhere else.

This information has to be well detailed, so that you don’t leave your scope. To help you through this, there are several home safety topics online that can help you communicate easily. As a matter of fact, you can talk about the importance and dangers of a swimming pool for kids, areas that should be accessible or not, appliances that should be restricted to children. Basically, your target is to make sure anything that can cause harm at home is avoided; and what better way is there to keep readers informed than choosing a good essay to write about child safety. Your topic goes a long way to save lives.

For example, you can have topics on home safety tips with a content like: “Children may get hurt from different activities in the home, and it takes the supervision of an adult to make sure this is prevented. Below are tips to practice safety at home; …”

School Safety Topics

Another place a child wants to be is the school. Having an education is an important phase of childhood, and while they could be involved in several activities, safety is paramount too. There are several people who are saddled with the responsibility of taking care of these kids, asides their parents and guardians. As a writer who is interested in an essay about child safety, there is a lot to talk about. You can pick different topics of your choice that is targeted towards academic institutions and child safety at the same time.

In your essay, you can ask questions such as; “what are the responsibilities of both teachers and parents?” “what is the safety measure the school administration take for every student?” These questions will tell you what your topic is about. In addition, to elaborate your essay, you can cite examples or incidences that has happened in a school you are familiar with, or just create something out of your imagination for people to think about. Later on, proffer solutions or suggestions to what can be done in that regard.

Health Safety Topics

In health safety topics, it is very easy to come up with strong but nice child safety argumentative essay. Doing this, that means you have to draw points from two contrasting sides, and finally win over the argument with the side you are interested in. In your essay, make sure you have all your facts and figures clearly expressed because you don’t want to get tangled up in an argument and eventually getting confused on what side to support. Make sure the side you are on has the strongest points. For health child safety essay example, you can try out something like: “Are junks healthy for children or not?”

For instance, you pick the side where junks are healthy for kids, you can tell your audience the importance of junks in the body, and why it is great for the body. Now, trust the contrary side to come up with countering opinions, you should have stronger points to make them weak. Mention the ease with getting junks especially when kids are running late for school or the fact that sugar makes them active in different ways. However, as a writer, you can source for more info online from other writers who have agreed to the fact junks are healthy for the body.

Outdoor Safety Topics

Going outdoor has a lot of dangers to kids than any other way aforementioned. Outdoor activities like going to the park, on vacations, trips, or even outside the house, there are chances that a child will get hurt. There is a lot for you to mention as a writer because there are different case scenarios. In fact, you can mention in your essay of cases where kids are being kidnapped by strangers, and the need to be more safety and security conscious to avoid dilemmas.

This is even the most interesting child safety essay writing you may ever try out because you can easily look within your environment and draw out points without having to source for information online. In that same vein, you can relate experiences you have had in the past for people to understand your perspective. Therefore, you can choose to write topics such as Ways to avoid children getting hurt while on a playground or Rules that needs to be followed when kids are playing outside. In this essay, you should make great bullet points and explain each of the ways or rules in a simple and concise manner.

Safety Tips

Of all topics you can ever write on child safety, this is the easiest because there are many things you can write about. It doesn’t require too much stress, as you can choose to write about health, school, home, outdoor activities, etc. Here, are some child safety essay examples on safety tips; Tips on how to keep your child safe at home, Tips on how to prevent domestic hazards that can be caused by kids, Tips to ensure safety at home at all times, Tips to ensure safety while on the playground, etc.

There are still so much to write about, but these above are the few examples a writer can choose to write on. Now, you can either look into your environment for ideas, or points, or better still check online for ideas and re-write in your own words. However, make sure it is something real and not out of the abstract because no one will want to practice what they don’t believe in. Put your suggestions plain and simple without compromising the quality of your essay.

Having a child safety essay example is enough to make you a great writer of your own, if you follow the steps taken or outline to make that possible. It is not easy to be a great writer, especially on topics like this when you have to orientate parents on what to do for their children. Also, different child safety topics have been described above, and it will be nice if you considered any of them while writing. With the detailed information in this article, you can make a successful write-up that people would love to read.

In conclusion, always make sure your child safety essay topics are relatable, easy to read and understand, because that is the basis of how your content and conclusion will look like.

• Our Mission

Getting Kids to Take Online Safety Seriously

When you ask students to think through their own scenarios about online safety, they’re more likely to look out for themselves and others.

The top-line statistics about online safety for kids are troubling: According to a 2019 study by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, 40 percent of kids in grades 4-8 reported that they connected or chatted online with a stranger. Meanwhile, the Journal of Adolescent Health reports that approximately one in five youth experience unwanted online exposure to sexually explicit material. And the risks just come from strangers: Pew Research Center reports that 59 percent of kids have been bullied or harassed online.

ISTE standards for students don’t quite seem up to the task. While they touch on cyberbullying and data privacy and acknowledge that being a “digital citizen” means learning about the responsibilities and behaviors for interacting in this space, they don’t say a word about access to and sharing of inappropriate and explicit content—including the risk of kids making a naive but devastating misstep themselves.

That’s a big gap. The easy solution would be cut-to-the-chase lectures that treat cyber safety as a standalone topic, but lectures often fail to make meaningful connections with students. In our years of teaching cyber safety to kids, we’ve arrived at what we think is a better approach—one in which cyber safety instruction is woven into subjects such as language arts, social studies, math, PE, and electives like STEAM, health, or theater.

We’ve seen it again and again in our classes: When cyber safety is contextualized and personalized and provides students with an opportunity to create, apply, or synthesize higher-level ideas in their subject-specific areas, the learning is far more profound. Moreover, with a cross-curricular approach, students become more empowered digital citizens who want to share their stories, research the facts, and inform their peers.

Make use of compelling, relevant narratives

Narrative is relevant in most subjects, but we’ve discovered that in the context of ELA, sharing cyber safety narratives with an element of suspense gains students’ attention, gets them thinking critically, and gives them ideas for their own narratives. Start with short, narrative videos such as those from Storybooth , a site that animates real-life stories submitted by 7th-12th graders, including testimonies relevant to cyber safety. BrainPop , which is aimed at elementary teachers and students, also has cyber safety videos.

After watching a video, ask your students to pick a related prompt. For example, if you’ve just watched a video on private and personal information, offer these:

• Explain why it can be risky to share information online.
• What steps would you take to prevent your private information from being shared?
• Create a T-chart of safe and unsafe information to share online.

Then they can write a response to the prompt and then turn and talk to a peer or share their responses in a whole group, e.g., “This reminds me of…” or “I wonder what would happen if…”

Or have your students write real or imagined narratives around topics of cyber safety. Start with story prompts such as, “A friend tells you that they are planning to meet up with someone they met through social media and wants you to come along. How do you respond?”

We have students work collaboratively on different story prompts related to cyber safety, then use a jigsaw approach where each group rotates to a completed story prompt with sticky notes to ask questions, share “a-ha” moments, and give peers feedback.

Storytelling with avatars and comics

Comics can both inspire and educate kids . Consider having your students create virtual avatars and comic strips with a tool like Pixton . They can create representations of themselves, classmates, peers, family members, or teachers who will play a role in the narratives they create (with permission, of course, from the represented people—yet another opportunity to model consideration and consent).

For example, kids could envision a scenario in which a high schooler meets someone they think is a peer online, agrees to meet them in person, realizes the gravity of the situation, and flees, and then depict that entire storyline in a comic strip format. The same thing can be done with scenarios related to sharing photos or a bank account number.

With digital comics, students can change backgrounds to build settings, vary facial expressions and body posture of their avatars, and learn technical skills like camera zoom to edit. Digital comics can launch discussions about other important topics, too, like the importance of nonverbal communication and how to support their peers when warning signs of cyber safety arise.

Practice problem-solving with scenarios

When students act out scenarios, they explore possible solutions to complicated problems with their peers. Pose scenarios and ask cooperative groups to act them out. Here's an example:

A group of classmates asks for your help to create a website about a teacher at your school. They want to include inappropriate pictures, images, and comments about her. What do you do? 

With practice and trust, your students will likely want to write their own scenarios. Whether you teach health, theater, or creative writing, having kids write a script for a cyber safety situation can bring new energy into your classroom.

Integrate research

When students research facts about cyber safety issues, they build their critical thinking and media literacy skills and gain a clearer understanding of what cyber safety is and what affects it, both in terms of outside influences and their own behavior.

For example, in a social studies class, ask them to consider this scenario: “Your friend tags you in a picture at the beach on Instagram. Other users have begun to make comments that make you feel uncomfortable and don’t seem appropriate to post online. You’re worried that your mom will see it. What should you do?”

As part of the assignment, have students look at legislation related to cyber safety to understand the legal ramifications of bad (and sometimes illegal) behavior; advise them to add links and resources they’ve discovered. Using an online collaboration board such as Padlet, Jamboard, or with Nearpod or Pear Deck, you can also do “think-pair-share” activities rooted in online research.

Relevant research works in math, too, and the objectivity of numbers provides a nice counterbalance to personal narratives. A good infographic, for example, can prompt questions and robust discussion. Because infographics are data-rich, they can reinforce understanding of statistics and probability and help develop quantitative literacy.

Students can also create surveys using Google Forms and collect data from their peers about a cyber safety topic of their choice—they are often more interested in crunching numbers when working with a data set they’ve created or contributed to and care about. Once students have collected and analyzed their data, they can create a Canva infographic of their own, which can also be used for a “notice and wonder” conversation that they lead.

Cyber safety instruction helps students see the connections between good citizenship overall and digital citizenship . Students need to understand the facts, cause and effect, personal responsibility, and the importance of both etiquette and context. Most of all, they need to understand that the lessons of compassion they learn throughout their school years extend into the digital world. One of the best ways to be compassionate towards others (and themselves!) is to be safe online. 

Child Protection and Safety in Practice

Introduction.

Children are society’s prospects and should be protected and nurtured accordingly, away from abuse and neglect. The Children Act (2004) legislation ensures that parents, families and communities receive fair, ethical and legal treatment of children to keep them free from abuse. According to (Dubowitz et al., 2011), a child s welfare can be affected by abuse and neglect in various ways, such as psychological difficulties that can cause educational problems, depression, and trouble maintaining relationships. Moreover, protecting children from maltreatment at an early year and educational setting can effectively safeguard the child’s health and development. Zeanah et al. (2018) state that safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare will result in taking action to ensure the best outcomes for all children. Thus, multi agencies join to share information and goals to intervene early in the children’s learning and achievements. Although multiagency has some benefits, it has its cons too, which inhibit collaborative working. Thus, individuals participating in multiagency work need skills and knowledge to be effective practitioners, such as good communicators (Munro,2019). This essay intends to expound on child protection, safety practices and how multiagency works.

Ways that child welfare can be affected by abuse and neglect

According to (Horwitz et al., 2011), child abuse and neglect are any actions that interfere with a child’s ability to learn, thrive, and grow in their environment. Child abuse relates to the physical, emotional or sexual exploitation by either parents, guardians or the community that is violent or threatening to the child. However, neglect is a form of child abuse that caregivers fail to provide basic needs such as proper shelter, health care, and emotional and safety needs. For example, emotional abuse such as yelling and humiliation will affect a child’s welfare as it will cause a lack of confidence, anger problems, conduct problems and underachievement. Moreover, neglect such as inadequate supervision can cause a child to use drugs, showing that the caregiver may not adequately care for the child. This will impact the child’s overall health and have psychological consequences that lead to high-risk behaviors.

ACE stands for the adverse childhood experiences that have potentially terrifying ordeals that occurred in their childhood. The experiences result in toxic stress due to frequent exposure to violence, abuse and neglect. According to (Jacobi et al.,2010), children that experience toxic stress in early life are at risk of adverse health effects such as mental illness, heart disease and unhealthy lifestyles. Moreover, toxic stress has more effects, such as weakening the developing brain, which later causes lifelong problems in learning behavior., It also leads to more physical illness and poor long-term health outcomes, such as alcoholism, cancer, obesity, and chronic obstructive pulmonary ddisease, amongothers. Gould et al. (2012) show that adults with low levels of parental warmth and affection and high levels of abuse have the highest health risk factors.

Contemporary society has also been the cause of abuse and neglect among children in the modern era. During the pandemic, there was an increase in child abuse as children were isolated in homes to contain the virus. It increased abuse as the signs were not noticeable to others due to stay-at-home orders. According to (Dubowitz et al., 2011), pandemics increased most parental stress and intrafamilial tension, leading to an increase in adverse childhood experiences such as domestic violence, abuse and neglect, causing aggression, depression and emotional problems in children. Moreover, an increase in the use of technology has led to cyberbullying and online threats that facilitate child abuse. For example, a child with access to online accounts who are abused online or given threats tends to be at risk of depression and thus have social interaction issues.

Safeguarding and child protection

The action, practices, and policies taken to protect children from abuse and maltreatment and promote their well-being are referred to as safeguarding. Child protection, on the other hand, is the action taken to protect children who are at risk of harm or are already experiencing significant harm. (Munro,2019) defines safeguarding as the prevention of harm, whereas child protection is the response to harm. It is important as it allows for intervention before the crisis and improves outcomes for those involved while considering the child’s best interests. Also, it allows child protection referrals to help those suffering from significant harm and prevent concerns from escalating. For example, NSPCC advocates against cruelty to children and that every child deserves to be protected. It sets out the policy, statutory guidance and legislation on how child protection works. In addition, local authorities play a lead role in safeguarding and protecting children, but everyone has a role when they come into contact with kids and families to protect them (Parton,2011). Moreover, voluntary organizations, faith groups and private sector providers are responsible for protecting and safeguarding children.

Some agencies, such as child protection services, are responsible for providing child protection and responding to reports of child abuse and neglect. (McFadden et al., 2015) state that the services link children to critical social services and just justice systems. For example, Birmingham’s local children safeguarding partnership objective is to support local agencies in a system where children are safeguarded and welfare promoted. Also, it provides safeguarding learning and development opportunities for professionals working with children and families. The right help and time framework ensures that the various needs are met such as universal, universal plus, additional and significant needs according to the situation involved.

The Children Act (2004) requires local governments to promote and protect the welfare of needy children by providing services that are appropriate to their needs. The child protection process takes place by sharing information, assessing if the child is likely to suffer serious harm, and determining the type of harm. Moreover, the child protection process is check on risk of harm, harm done due to the care they receive and then decide if the child needs a protection plan (Lambert et al., 2014). A child is in this specialist service to be served with emotional support and be helped to develop a family coping strategy while protecting children. As a result, children and young people who come into contact with the child safety system will be assisted by specialist services. It creates a legal obligation to protect children and young people in schools and colleges.

Multiagency working

Multiagency working is teamwork across organizations to deliver services to children with multiple needs. According to (Munro, 2019), It is an approach in which professionals from various agencies collaborate to find safeguarding solutions and provide support to those affected by abuse and neglect. It is important as it effectively addresses a wide range of risk factors while making a unique contribution to early intervention services (Zeanah et al.,2018). Although multiagency has its benefits, it faces some potential barriers, such as a lack of effective communication will lead to a lack of shared understanding making it easier to collaborate. Not promoting a multiagency approach will result in neglect, especially If an individual can make a poor decision, unlike in a shared working. For example, a stressed manager working with vulnerable kids will make a rush decision on where to send the child rather than researching it. It will make a practitioner more strained due to the overloaded work strain, which can be effectively handled in a multiagency environment.

An effective individual practitioner needs skills and ethical considerations in multiagency working. Effective practitioners should have good communication either between the parent and the child. Crittenden (2013) states that this will make it easy to work together and build trusting relationships as there is understanding while the procedure is keenly followed and is effective in direct work with families. Early help is support given to a family when a problem first appears in order to improve outcomes for children. It can help a child’s home and family life, as well as their academic performance and mental health. As a result, it is critical because it helps to reach the child’s full support while reducing the need for a referral to child protection services (Parton,2011). It is effectively accomplished by working together through monitoring programs to respond to the various levels of need that children and families may face.

A social worker can be involved in early help to undertake as the lead practitioner. They assist families and children by improving well-being and assisting in meeting all people’s basic and complex needs, with a focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. (Jacobi et al., 2010). A social worker helps by recommending other professionals to provide services and assistance that best fits their situation. For example, a social worker can partner with different support agencies to ensure care is taken and provide coping strategies. The Children Act (2004) legislation safeguards vulnerable groups, and their policy is to avoid harm and risk of harm while protecting children from maltreatment.

 Keeping children safe within Early Years and Education Settings

The Early Help Agenda safeguards a child who has been identified as experiencing or at risk of experiencing significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect. It supports practitioners as they can spot safeguarding issues because of their close contact with the children and adolescents in their care (Lambert et al., 2014). Moreover, it supports practitioners in working effectively with children and families. It provides an understanding of the child’s day-to-day needs while stimulating their physical, educational and emotional development to ensure the child is protected and safeguarded. It is important as it helps them cope with their day-to-day pressures while working on a collaborative approach to protect them from abuse.

The guidance says to promote children’s well-being working together per the Children Act (2004) in early years and in an educational setting to safeguard and protect the child. This guidance shows that the services offered, such as social services, are free to ensure children are safe in their early years and in school. The role is to identify any abuse on a child, analyze and listen carefully to the abuse, involve a practitioner early to ensure that the child is safeguarded and protected and ensure that their early years and educational setting are safe.

DSL, the designated safeguarding lead, is present in every organization dealing with children’s needs. Their role is to ensure that child protection files are kept up to date and are confidential and stored securely. Also, the person is responsible for child protection and safeguarding across early-year school settings by gathering evidence for any referral. According to (McFadden et al., 2015), a DSL’s role is to assist staff members in carrying out their safeguarding responsibilities and to maintain close contact with social services for children and other services. Moreover, DSL ought to be familiar with the local authority’s safeguarding procedures to ensure safeguarding policy and child protection are met.

Providing curriculum links to educate children about keeping themselves safe is essential to keep children safe in their early years and educational setting. According to (Jacobi et al., 2010), simple support programs for children and parents can be the best way to prevent abuse. Having after-school activities for education helps children to know their rights and thus makes them less likely to think abuse is their fault and more likely to report the offender. Moreover, knowing child abuse and its signs can effectively help keep children safe as it will be easier to recognize and provide early help to the children and improve their lives.

Case study review

The predisposing factors for abuse and neglect may include family crisis, family isolation and inadequate parenting skills. In the case study, moving caused the imprisonment of John, having limited contact with members and Casey has inadequate parenting skills according to how she responds to issues regarding the kids. These factors affect how the kids respond and react to others. The level of need depends on the right time; the right help framework is an additional need. In the case study, the children and the family need substantial support, but it can be managed without social intervention. This family needs food parcel support as Claire struggles to pay the bills. Furthermore, difficulty in controlling behavior where Noah’s behavior is outrageous; this can be supported by the child on specific learning programs to determine and help the child from abuse or neglect.

The professional practitioner can help by partnering with other agencies to ensure the necessary support is met for the children. Working together as a family with the help of a professional can allow identification of the problem and provide a solution at an early stage (Munro,2019). Thus, the role of the practitioner is to be present and offer comfort to the children. For example, in Noah’s case, a practitioner can offer emotional and loving support when acting out rather than distracting them. The strategy can be behavioral therapy for a parent to improve coping skills and strengthen the parent-child relationship while using a positive discipline strategy to avoid abuse and ensure no neglect of the kids. Moreover, having a DSL, according to the children act (2004), will endure that the necessary steps are taken to protect and support children while providing a point of contact between child protection policies where necessary (Parton,2011).

Social workers, child psychologists and academic staff are some of the professionals that could be involved. A social worker will ensure that the family is kept together and doing the best for the family. In contrast, academic staff will ensure a clear understanding of stages of development and recognize signs of abuse or neglect (Crittenden,2013). The professionals are majorly involved as they ensure the child’s welfare and protection in the home setting while preventing and reporting cases of abuse. The psychologist will help deal with the children’s emotional, social and intellectual development. These professionals contribute to the concrete support of the need and emotional competencies of the children.

A family hub can be involved to support the family and children in an early setting to get help in the appropriate manner and at the right time. In the case study, family circumstances have changed, causing challenges. As children develop, the family may require additional and joined-up support services to help with the change in environment for both eth family and children. It will help the practitioners to improve the quality of a child’s home and perform better while supporting their mental health.

 Conclusion

in conclusion, a child’s welfare is critical in the early years, and thus abuse and neglect can lead to factors such as depression and emotional and social instability. There are various ways that a child can be affected by abuse and neglect, such as toxic stress. Current stances, such as the pandemic or the influence of the modern era, may accelerate this factor. With this, safeguarding and child protection is essential as it is necessary to ensure every child is safe and the right level of need is offered to provide for the child. Also, specialist services may be offered to support children facing significant harm or those affected. A multiagency working can facilitate it to ensure collaboration, covering, and setting a high ground to prevent abuse. Also, keeping children safe at an early year and providing early help is essential.

Crittenden, P., 2013.  Raising parents: Attachment, parenting and child safety . Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203069776/raising-parents-patricia-crittenden

Dubowitz, H., Kim, J., Black, M.M., Weisbart, C., Semiatin, J. and Magder, L.S., 2011. Identifying children at high risk for a child maltreatment report.  Child abuse & neglect ,  35 (2), pp.96-104. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213411000135

Gould, F., Clarke, J., Heim, C., Harvey, P.D., Majer, M. and Nemeroff, C.B., 2012. The effects of child abuse and neglect on cognitive functioning in adulthood.  Journal of psychiatric research ,  46 (4), pp.500-506. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395612000064

Horwitz, S.M., Hurlburt, M.S., Cohen, S.D., Zhang, J. and Landsverk, J., 2011. Predictors of placement for children who initially remained in their homes after an investigation for abuse or neglect.  Child Abuse & Neglect ,  35 (3), pp.188-198. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213411000536

Jacobi, G., Dettmeyer, R., Banaschak, S., Brosig, B. and Herrmann, B., 2010. Child abuse and neglect: diagnosis and management.  Deutsches Arzteblatt International ,  107 (13), p.231. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855177/

Lambert, R., Abbott-Shim, M. and Sibley, A., 2014. Evaluating the quality of early childhood educational settings. In  Handbook of research on the education of young children  (pp. 475-494). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315045511-37/evaluating-quality-early-childhood-educational-settings-richard-lambert-martha-abbott-shim-annette Sibley

McFadden, P., Campbell, A. and Taylor, B., 2015. Resilience and burnout in child protection social work: Individual and organizational themes from a systematic literature review. The British Journal of Social Work ,  45 (5), pp.1546-1563. https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/article-abstract/45/5/1546/1622707

Munro, E., 2019.  Effective child protection . Sage. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Z8m1DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=child+safety+and+multi+agency+working&ots=8Dgs43IgoE&sig=0WeyTO4emPqo5ssJ-ozmLQtAdDU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=child%20safety%20and%20multi%20agency%20working&f=false

Parton, N., 2011. Child protection and safeguarding in England: Changing and competing conceptions of risk and their implications for social work.  British Journal of Social Work ,  41 (5), pp.854-875. https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/article-abstract/41/5/854/1635158

Zeanah, C.H. and Humphreys, K.L., 2018. Child abuse and neglect.  Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ,  57 (9), pp.637-644. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0890856718303332

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Essay on “children’s safety” for students and children, best essay, paragraph, speech for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12., children’s safety.

News headlines about heinous criminal acts against children such as kidnapping, abuse, assault, murder, and rape are more than just disturbing. They are shocking. It is right that we condemn these despicable acts. While our hearts go out to the aggrieved parents who may never see their children again, we must realize that we live in a time and age where it is no longer safe for children to roam about freely. Protecting children from harm and violence is not just the duty of parents and the authorities concerned. Society has to play its part as well.

For starters, action needs to begin with parents and the family. Parents must be vigilant and know the whereabouts of their children all the time. They need to watch out for their children especially when they are outside, be it in the playground or while shopping. Moreover, they need to chaperone their children constantly, even if the distance traveled is short. Leaving a child unsupervised and assuming that a child will ultimately return home safely is unwise. Parents should set boundaries about places that children may go, people they may see and things they may do. Children should also be taught to say ‘no’ to strangers offering lifts and gifts.

The authorities, including the police, can ensure better protection for children by implementing several measures, for example increasing patrols in high-risk areas such as shopping malls and playgrounds. They can also carryout awareness campaigns on child safety. Installing CCTVs in areas frequented by children ill also go a long way towards ensuring child safety.

Schools should place special emphasis on child safety education. As young children are the most vulnerable, child safety education should start in primary schools so that children can learn how to be safe from strangers. Children should also be taught to trust their instincts and seek help whenever they feel threatened.

It is a harsh but true fact that the world is no longer a safe place for innocent children as sexual predators lurk in every nook and cranny. A safe environment for children to live and grow can only be realized when all parties, including parents, schools, communities and the authorities work together.

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Essay on Safety in Daily Life

The essay on safety in daily life will discuss safety for kids, the importance of being aware of their environment and how to protect themselves from potentially dangerous situations. By following some simple safety tips, children can stay safe while doing everyday activities. Kids need to be safe all the time. They must know how to stay safe when they are out and what to do if something terrible happens. Moreover, eating healthy and nutritious food plays an important role in keeping the kids safe from any ailments or allergies.

First, kids need to know the location of all exits in a building. If there is an emergency, they will be able to find the quickest way out. Additionally, children need to know how to identify dangerous objects and avoid them, for example, not to touch hot surfaces or open electrical cabinets. When playing outside, they should always be aware of their surroundings and watch out for animals that may be harmful. Finally, never leave children unattended in cars or any other vehicle. This short essay on safety in daily life will discuss some safety concerns that are most likely to come up in a kid’s life and what you can do to help them stay safe. We have also included some tips on keeping your home free of hazards so that your children can play safely.

Table of Contents

Daily safety routine for kids.

• Safety Tips for Kids Every Day

A daily safety routine is essential for kids. It can make them feel more secure in the nearby areas. In BYJU’S essay on safety in daily life, we have given some safety tips for kids to read and understand and for creating a habit for them in their daily lives.

• Establish specific times for each activity, and stick to them as much as possible. This will help make predictability in the child’s life and help them develop a good sense of rhythm and order.
• Create a safe place where the child can play. This could be their bedroom, a designated play area in the house, or outside if weather permits. Make sure that this space is well-lit and free from potential dangers.
• Ensure that the child knows how to dial 112 in an emergency. This information should be readily available at home and on the child’s emergency contact list.
• Encourage the child to immediately report any suspicious activity or people to you or another adult. By being proactive about safety, you can help protect your child from harm.

Safety Tips for Kids

It is essential for children to be safe at all times, no matter what they do. Here are some safety tips for kids to keep in mind:

• Stay away from strangers : It is always best to avoid people children don’t know, especially if they seem strange or make them feel uncomfortable. If something feels wrong, it is best to trust their instincts and run away.
• Be aware of the surroundings : Children should pay attention to their surroundings when they are out and about. Be mindful of where people are, what they are doing, and whether there are any dangerous objects nearby.
• Follow the road rules : When walking or bicycling, always obey the traffic rules. Follow the directions for pedestrians/cyclers and stay alert for cars coming from both directions.
• Do not talk on the phone while walking or biking : This is one instance where talking on a cell phone while walking or biking can be dangerous because people won’t be able to see what is happening around them. Instead, wait until one is in a safe position on the road before answering the phone.

It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their children are safe in their everyday lives. We need to teach them how to protect themselves from potential danger and respond when they are victims of an assault or crime. In this short essay on safety in daily life, we have shared some safety tips that can help you create a safe environment for children. For more kids learning activities like worksheets , poems and stories , visit BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some healthy eating habits for kids.

Here are some nutritional eating habits for kids. A healthy diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. To ensure that your child is eating a healthy diet, try to provide them with meals made from scratch or ones that are at least partially prepared in a healthier way. You can also encourage your child to eat at home rather than outside. If your child does have to go out to eat, be sure to get them a meal that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.

What safety rules must kids follow while going to school?

Kids must follow safety rules taught by their parents while going to school. Children must know how to protect themselves in dangerous situations. The two most important rules are, staying away from danger zones and being aware of their surroundings.

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Guest Essay

What Happens When Abusive Parents Keep Their Children

By Naomi Schaefer Riley

Ms. Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of “No Way to Treat a Child.”

In February 2023, Phoenix Castro was born in San Jose, Calif., suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal after being exposed to fentanyl and methamphetamine in her mother’s womb.

Her mother was sent to jail and then ended up at a drug treatment facility. But her father, who had multiple drug arrests, was allowed to take the newborn to his San Jose apartment, even though a social worker had warned that the baby would be at “very high” risk if she was sent home. The county’s child protection agency had already removed the couple’s two older children because of neglect.

Three months later, Phoenix was dead from an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The ensuing uproar, chronicled in detail by The Mercury News, focused on new efforts by the county to keep at-risk families together. In the past, children often would be removed from unsafe homes and placed in foster care, and newborns like Phoenix in all likelihood would not have been sent home.

Those policy changes led to a “ significant ” drop in removals of children from troubled homes in the San Jose area, according to the state’s social services agency. They reflected a larger shift in child welfare thinking nationwide that has upended the foster care system. Reducing the number of children placed in foster care has been hailed as an achievement. But leaving children in families with histories of abuse and neglect to avoid the trauma of removing them has had tragic results.

We need to ask whether avoiding foster care, seemingly at all costs — especially for children in families mired in violence, addiction or mental illness — is too often compromising their safety and welfare.

The use of foster care has been in decline even as more children are dying from abuse and neglect in their homes. In recent years, the number of children in foster care fell by nearly 16 percent while the fatality rate from abuse and neglect rose by almost 18 percent. Many factors were and are at work, among them caseworker inexperience, a lack of resources and the high bars for removing children from their homes that have been erected by child welfare agencies, policymakers and judges.

What is clear from a sampling of states that release fatality reports in a timely fashion is that we are seeing deaths of children in cases in which they had been allowed to remain in homes with records of violence, drug use and neglect.

In Minnesota, a children’s advocacy group’s study of 88 child fatalities in the state from 2014 to 2022 found that “many of these deaths were preventable” and were the result of a “child welfare philosophy which gave such high priority to the interests of parents and other adults in households, as well as to the goals of family preservation and reunification, that child safety and well-being were regularly compromised.”

The prioritization of family preservation has been advanced by states and the federal government and by the nation’s largest foundation focused on reducing the need for foster care, Casey Family Programs.

Three ideas seem to have guided the effort: the child welfare system is plagued by systemic racial bias, adults should not be punished for drug addiction, and a majority of children in the system are simply in need of financial support and social services.

This effort was bolstered in 2018 with the passage by Congress of the Family First Prevention Services Act , which enables states to use federal funds “to provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements through the provision of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services” and other programs.

The push certainly has been well-intentioned. There was a sense that child welfare authorities had overreacted to concerns about a crack baby epidemic in the 1980s. Mothers were arrested and babies and children taken away. The number of children in foster care more than doubled between 1985 and 2000. There was also deep concern — concern that persists — that Black children in particular were bearing the brunt of being removed from their homes and sent to foster care, which can cause its own upheaval for children.

In some states, the reductions in the number of children in foster care were drastic. But there are limits to how much those numbers can be reduced without putting children in grave danger.

In Santa Clara County, Calif., where Phoenix Castro died, an inquiry the previous year by the California Department of Social Services into the county’s child protection agency found “multiple” instances of “children placed into protective custody by law enforcement,” only to have the county agency “immediately” place “the children back in the care of the unsafe parent.” (In what appears to be an about-face by the county, The Mercury News reported that in the last two months of 2023, the number of children removed from their homes was triple the two-month average for the previous months of that year.)

In an email to Santa Clara County’s Department of Family and Children’s Services staff in 2021, explaining the new emphasis on keeping families together, the director at the time described the move as part of the county’s strong commitment “to racial justice and to healing the historical wounds underlying disproportionate representation of children of color in the child welfare system.”

As much as racial disparities in foster care are deeply troubling — Black children are twice as likely as white children to spend time in foster care — Black children also suffer fatalities from abuse and neglect at three times the rate of white children. Which means that policies intended to reduce disproportionality by reducing foster care may actually be resulting in more deaths of Black children.

Foster care is not a panacea. The trauma children suffer from suddenly being removed from their home and their siblings, to be placed in a strange home with a caregiver they don’t know, is well documented. But the alternative, allowing a child to remain in a dangerous home, should never be an alternative.

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of “No Way to Treat a Child.”

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Crime and Public Safety | Hooded stranger gropes 9-year-old Brooklyn girl…

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Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety | hooded stranger gropes 9-year-old brooklyn girl on way to school.

The victim was walking down 59th St. near Eighth Ave. in Borough Park about 7:45 a.m. Thursday when a young man in a gray hooded sweatshirt approached her.

The man lunged at the child, running his hands down her body over her clothing and touching her privates, cops said.

The stranger then ran off, the child, who wasn’t physically harmed in the encounter, told police.

Cops scoured the area for surveillance footage until they recovered images of the groper.

Detectives released the images Saturday in the hopes that someone recognizes him.

The groper is described as light skinned, between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7 with an average build. He was last seen wearing the hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

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