Keep children safe this season

As thousands of families embark on holiday this festive season, parents need to be extra alert when it comes to the safety of their children.

According to Missing Children South Africa, hundreds of children go missing every year.

Trafficking in children is a global problem affecting large numbers of children. According to UNICEF and World Concern some estimates have as many as 1.2 million children begin trafficked every year. “Children and their families are often unaware of the dangers of trafficking, believing that better employment and lives lie in other countries.”
Here are some basic steps you can take to ensure your child’s safety:

• Thousands of people descend on beaches, parks, malls and other busy areas. It takes a matter of seconds for a child to disappear. Parents and guardians should never get easily distracted and should always be aware of surroundings and the people around.
• Educate your kids. Show children police officers, lifeguards, store cashiers and security personnel for example, so they know who to approach for help. Also show them landmarks in the area you are in. If in a mall, show them the information desk for example, that they can go to and wait should they not be able to find you.

• Children should be taught never to go anywhere alone as well as never to talk to, accept anything from or go anywhere with a stranger, even if it is someone they know. It is also a great idea to have a family password. Teach your children to ask the person who says they were sent by you for the password.
• They should also be informed on what to do should they be approached by a stranger or if they feel unsafe around someone known to them. They can run away, scream and get the attention of other people in the area. Be weary of new “friends”, either people that are “friendly” to you or to your children.
• Ensure your children know your name, their name and surname as well as their address when they are of age. They should be informed that these details are only to be given to authorities and lifeguards for example and not to strangers who approach them.
• While on holiday, ensure that you know where the closest police station and hospital is.
• Pay attention to what your children are wearing and keep a recent photograph of them as this will help in case of an emergency.
• If you find out that your child is missing, report it to the police. Provide as much information as possible about your child. Rheeder said people should never wait 24 hours to report a missing person. “If you realise that someone is missing, you should report that person missing immediately. The sooner the police can start working on the case, the better,” she said.
• You can then contact contact Missing Children South Africa. The organisation’s role is to create awareness around missing individuals in partnership with the SAPS. They cannot distribute any information that has not been reported to SAPS.