Youth Month: Honouring our youth and ensuring their safety

Safety is a priority and should be top of mind for everyone—especially teenagers and young adults, who are often more vulnerable to crime.

Sadly, South Africa continues to struggle with high levels of crime and violence, and too often, it is our youth who are the victims.

Youth Month is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to recommit to prioritising the safety of our young people.

“As adults, we have a responsibility to teach young people how to be safe and protect themselves. If we can instil in them an awareness of risks and how to avoid them, we can make a lasting, positive impact.

“A good place to start is by giving young South Africans the tools they need to stay safe,” says Charnel Hattingh, group head of communications and marketing at Fidelity Services Group.

Hattingh notes that safety concerns are especially high around places of learning and offers several practical tips:

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“Areas near schools are often targeted by opportunistic criminals. Children who walk with their cellphones visible are especially vulnerable.

“Sadly, we continue to see incidents where learners are held up at knifepoint or tricked into handing over their phones to someone pretending to need help.”

Common crimes in school areas include armed robberies, hijackings of parents waiting to collect children, and vehicle theft.

“Criminals exploit the fact that parents are often distracted during school drop-off and pick-up. Everyone is caught up in their own routines and rarely aware of what’s happening around them,” Hattingh adds.

If your children are still in school, teach them never to leave the premises with anyone they don’t know. Encourage them to stay within school grounds while waiting to be picked up. If they walk home, advise them to do so in groups and along familiar, safe routes.

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Another essential conversation, Hattingh says, is about what to do when something goes wrong.

“Children must understand that there are trustworthy adults—police officers, security personnel—who can help. Do your children know how to contact the SAPS or law enforcement?

“Have you shown them how to identify and approach a security officer in a public space if you get separated? Practice these scenarios so you know how prepared they are.”

She concludes: “We have a duty to leave behind a better, safer world. That begins with empowering children today.”

Encourage open and honest communication with your teens, so they feel confident to speak up and report abuse or concerns.

For further guidance, explore tips from resources like the SAPS and international NPO Safe Kids. Talk to your children today—for a safer tomorrow.