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| Children Safety |
While most children pass through childhood without ever experiencing physical harm, some are frightened or hurt
by crime. As a parent, one of your responsibilities is to teach your children how to protect themselves and respond
to threatening situations.
You should first familiarize yourself with the crime prevention and child safety information available to you from
your local law enforcement agency and then review it with your children, often. Remember, you should always take
the time to listen carefully to your child’s fears and feelings about people or places that scare them or make them
feel uncomfortable.
COVER THE BASICS
- Rehearse with your children their full name, address and phone number.
- Make sure that your child is familiar with how and why to call for help.
- What is an emergency?
- A fire, An Injury, A crime has been committed
- Teach your child how to call 911. Every child should be aware of a few simple safety rules to insure that
they will be able to avoid dangerous situations. If the situation still arises with the crime prevention
information provided, hopefully your child will be able to react to the situation in the safest manner possible.
SCHOOL AND AT PLAY
Encourage children to walk and play with friends, not alone. Train them that if all their friends need to leave the
area, DO NOT STAY ALONE! Always play in open areas where others can see them.
Teach your child to walk confidently and stay alert to where they are and what is going on around them. Encourage
them to watch for other children as well. Let them know it is all right to tell a trusted adult about anything that
does not seem right or safe.
Teach your child to notice, and report, strangers who hang around playgrounds, public restrooms and empty buildings.
SEXUAL ABUSE
It is an unpleasant fact that at least 100,000 children are reported as victims of sexual abuse each year, and
the numbers are growing. It is especially difficult to detect sexual abuse and help the victim because the abuser
is often a parent, a relative, a baby-sitter, or close family friend. Children may not recognize sexual abuse when
it happens or even know that it is wrong.
Talk to your children about touches that are appropriate and ones that are not and will make them feel uncomfortable.
Stress to them that they can always tell you when someone’s been touching them in a bad way. Children very rarely
lie about being the victim of sexual abuse, but some may be too confused or frightened to talk directly about it.
Be alert to physical and behavioral changes that might signal sexual abuse. Some physical signs may be, but not limited to:
- Bed wetting
- Loss of appetite
- Nightmares
- Complaints of pain or irrational around genital areas.
Some behavioral symptoms may be:
- Refusing to go to school or to be alone
- Increased anxiety or immature behavior
- Artwork that depicts sexual overtones
- Change in attitudes toward a relative, friend, baby-sitter or neighbor.
Remember, if you discover that your child is showing symptoms of sexual abuse or you know your child has been
sexual abused; report it to law enforcement or a child protection agency, immediately.
HAT ALL CHILDREN SHOULD UNDERSTAND
- Bad people do exist!
- Just because a person is an adult, does not mean they are good people.
- Strangers may not tell the truth.
- They can play tricks that could lead to danger.
WHO IS A STRANGER?
- Tell your child a "STRANGER IS SOMEONE WE DO NOT KNOW".
- A stranger may be a woman or a man
- May be well dressed or shabby looking
- Can be a kind person or a mean person.
- They could be pretty or ugly.
RULE # 1 NEVER TALK WITH STRANGERS
A stranger may offer you a ride or stop to ask a question.
He or she may even call you by name. Strangers play tricks.
No matter what a stranger says - STAY AWAY!
RULE # 2 NEVER TAKE GIFTS FROM A STRANGER
A stranger may offer you a gift or money.
NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FROM A STRANGER.
RULE # 3 ALWAYS GO STRAIGHT HOME
Always go straight home from school or play.
Never take short cuts and always
go with a friend if possible.
RULE # 4 LET YOUR PARENTS KNOW WHERE YOU ARE
When playing away from home, let Mom or Dad know where you are.
Never leave home without permission.
RULE # 5 NEVER OPEN THE DOOR TO A STRANGER
If you are home alone and someone knocks on the door or rings the doorbell,
do not open the door to a stranger.
RULE # 6 ALWAYS GET HELP IF THERE IS TROUBLE
If you are touched or grabbed by a stranger, SCREAM and RUN AWAY; tell a
trusted adult right away. If you can, remember what the person looked like and if
in a vehicle, what color or even the license number if possible.
SEVEN TIPS FOR WALKING SAFELY
The following behaviors are fundamental to all pedestrians using the traffic system. Practicing and reinforcing
them yourself will ensure an automatic response in your child. Remember; children imitate both safe and unsafe
behaviors. Give them positive examples to follow.
- Do not cross a road from between parked vehicles. Many children are struck each year in non-intersection
accidents when they suddenly enter the roadway from between parked vehicles or from behind bushes or brush.
- Be extra alert in bad weather. Inclement weather tends to make people hurry and pay less attention to
prevention. A motorist may skid out of control trying to avoid the sudden appearance of a pedestrian from
behind a parked vehicle.
- Be seen at night. If it is necessary for children to be out after dark, have them wear white or light
colored clothing. Attach reflector strips attached to their jacket or pant legs.
- Cross at corners. Teach your child to cross at corners, especially those protected by a traffic control
device, police office or crossing guard.
- Observe and Obey. Remind children that police officers, adult crossing guards, school safety patrol, traffic s
igns and signals are all traffic safety helpers. They should be observed and obeyed.
- STOP, LOOK and LISTEN before crossing. Children must learn to stop, look and listen for oncoming vehicles in
all directions before they walk- NOT RUN- across the street. Crosswalks are not "magic" safety lines. Children
must be alert for turning vehicles at all times, especially with right-on-red laws in effect.
- Walk facing traffic. In areas where there are no sidewalks, children should be instructed to walk on the
left side of the roadway, facing approaching traffic. They should also walk in single file, as far off the
traveled part of the roadway as possible
"WALK THE WALK" - SAFEST ROUTE
Prior to the opening of school, help your child select the safety route for walking to and from school or the bus
stop. Walk the exact route that is chosen with your child. Talk about why it is best and why other possible routes
are more dangerous, even though they may be shorter.
Repeat this procedure until your child is thoroughly familiar with the route, understands why it is followed,
goes that way as a matter of habit and you are comfortable about his or her traveling safely. Insist your child
take the same route each day so that you know the path is being followed.
No magic formula exists for picking the safest route. The following guidelines may assist you in avoiding as many
traffic hazards as possible.
- Direct Route - Children should take the most direct, safe route. If there is a shorter route that is less
safe, explain why it is better to use the longer route. Encourage your child to go straight to and from school
or the bus stop without loitering along the way. Playing tag, pushing each other and "horsing around" on the
way can result in traffic accidents when children are distracted and suddenly dart out into the street.
- Fewest Street Crossings - Select the route that has the least number of streets to cross. Consider the
street width, length of time it takes to cross each street, traffic volume, and traffic speed and whether there
are sufficient gaps in traffic to cross.
- Special School Crossings - Pedestrian tunnels or overpasses may be provided next to school grounds to
compensate for existing hazardous conditions. Use these crossings when planning safe routes.
- Protected Crossings - Try to restrict crossings to those intersections guarded by a police officer, adult
crossing guard or safety patrol member.
- Complicated Intersections - Avoid confusing and complicated intersection, unless police officers, or adult
crossing guards are assigned to each school children.
- Group Crossings - Select those routes where as many youngsters as possible ill merge at one place when
crossing a hazardous street. Large groups crossing permits a more effective utilization of police, crossing
guards and school safety patrol members.
CHILD RESTRAINT LAWS
CAR SEATS
More children in the U.S. are killed and crippled in car crashes than from any other cause of injury. Therefore,
it is now the law in every state that infants and children must ride bucked up in car seats and seat belts.
When used correctly, car seats provide excellent protection in most crashes. Car seats keep children from being
slammed into the windshield or dashboard, thrown against another person or flung out of the car, even in a low-speed
collision. They also keep children in their places, so that you, the driver, can pay more attention to the road.
The present law requires that all children under the age of 18 must be buckled up while riding in any car, pick-up
or van on Florida roads. Children newborn through age 3 must be secured in a federally approved child restraint seat.
Children of small size should be placed in a booster seat or larger child restraint seat after the age of 3 years.
Remember that the backseat is the safest place for children under the age of 13 years, due to possible injuries or
death from an inflating airbag if you are involved in a crash.
CHOOSING A CAR SEAT
The "best" car seat is one that fits your child’s size and weight, fits in your car, and can be used correctly every
time.
Find a seat with straps that are simple to adjust while the seat is in the car and one that has a seat belt path
through which your car’s belt can be fastened easily.
Remember, choose a seat that you find easy to use and that fits in your vehicle. Before you buy a seat, try it in
your car to make sure it fits and can be buckled in tightly. More and more baby stores will allow you to do this.
Avoid the temptation of purchasing a used car seat. Used seats often lack the corresponding instruction manuals
which are necessary for proper installation and usage. Also, the "history" of a used seat which is often passed
down from one person to the other, is often a mystery. If the seat was involved in a car crash, its structural
integrity may be jeopardized, putting your baby at risk to serious injury in the event of a crash.
Never use a seat that has been used in a car crash. In addition to this, a used seat may have been the subject
of a safety recall. Keep in mind that seats made before January 1, 1981 do not meet the same strict crash standards
of today.
BASICS OF CAR SEAT USE
Always use a car seat, starting with your baby’s first ride home from the hospital. Help your child form a
lifelong habit of buckling up.
Remember, the harness and/or shield hold the child in the car seat and the vehicle seat belt holds the seat in the
car. Unless both are attached snugly, the car seat may not prevent injury.
USING CAR SEATS CORRECTLY
INFANT SEATS (BIRTH TO 20-22 POUNDS)
Install an infant car seat rear facing only so that the baby faces the back of the car. The rear facing position
supports the entire head, neck and back avoiding stress to the neck due to the baby’s heavy head. Never use an
infant-only seat facing forward.
If your car has a passenger-side air bag, put your baby in the back seat. If the air bag inflates, it could cause
serious or fatal injuries to a rear-facing infant in the front seat.
Use the infant car seat until your child reaches at least 1 year of age and is at least 20 pounds. Tall (long)
babies, whose head reaches the top rim of the seat, may outgrow the seat lengthwise before they reach the upper
weight limit of the seat. They should then be moved to a convertible seat used in the rear-facing mode until they
reach 1 year of age.
This is also applies to babies who have outgrown the upper weight limit of their infant seat. They should also be
moved to a convertible seat used in the rear-facing mode until they reach 1 year of age. There are several
convertible seats available on the market today which are made to carry a baby over 20 pounds facing the rear.
When installing the infant seat, be sure to route the seat belt through the right path on the car seat (see
instructions) and pull it tight. Adjust the harness to fit snugly over the shoulders and between the legs.
Use the lowest harness slots for a rear-facing newborn infant. Keep the harness straps at or just below your baby’s
shoulders. Place the plastic harness clip (if provided) at armpit level to keep the straps on the shoulders.
To fill empty spaces and give support, roll up a couple of small blankets and tuck them in on each of your baby’s
shoulders and head. If he still slumps down, put a rolled diaper between his legs behind the crotch strap. Thick
padding should not be put underneath or behind the baby.
REAR-FACING/FORWARD-FACING CONVERTIBLE SEATS
(BIRTH TO ABOUT 40 POUNDS)
Use a convertible seat facing the rear for infants from birth to 20 pounds. A convertible child safety seat used
rear facing should be in the reclined position and with shoulder straps in the lowest slots. Always follow car
seat manufacturer’s instructions for securing the seat to the vehicle.
Keep in mind that many of the newer convertible seats have weight limits as high as 30-32 pounds for rear-facing
use. These products are especially good for babies under age one who are growing more rapidly than average.
Remember, for the best protection of infants, they should be kept rear facing until at least 1 year of age and
at least 20 pounds.
The convertible seat may be turned around to face the front when the baby is at least one year old and at least
20 pounds. In the forward facing position, the seat should be adjusted to the upright position and the shoulder
straps moved to the upper slots. The seat can be used until the child’s ears are above the back of the shell or
the child’s shoulders are above the top slots.
Make sure the seat belt is routed through the car seat correctly in both forward and rear-facing positions
(there are usually two different belt paths); pull the belt tight. Again, follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Convertible seats with a tray shield or T shield are not recommended for very small infants as they are difficult
to achieve a tight harness fit on the small baby and the baby’s head may be directly behind or under the shield.
A better choice would be a convertible seat with a five-point harness which secures the child at both shoulders,
the hips and between the legs and fits a wide range of infants and toddlers snugly and correctly.
TODDLER SEATS, FORWARD FACING ONLY
(OVER 20-25 POUNDS TO ABOUT 40 POUNDS)
These may take the place of convertible seats where available and appropriate providing that your child is at least
1 year of age and 20 pounds. Weight limits will vary.
However, keep in mind these seats are to be used forward facing only and should not be used for infants or
newborns. There are many forward facing child safety seats that look like convertible seats, but are not.
This is one reason why it is so important to look at the seat’s manufacturer’s instructions and the seat label.
Toddler seats which are built into the vehicle seat are called integrated seats.
BOOSTER SEATS
(FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE OUTGROWN CONVERTIBLE SEATS)
A booster seat is used when children have outgrown their convertible seat but is still not big enough to fit lap
and shoulder belts properly. A seatbelt that rides up on the tummy could cause serious injury to a child.
Your child should stay in a car safety seat with shoulder straps until it’s outgrown, usually at about 40 pounds.
When a child’s shoulders are above the top set of strap slots in a convertible seat, it is time for a booster seat.
Booster seats fit children up to 60-80 pounds and are recommended for children up to ages 8-12.
There are 3 main kinds of booster seats:
- Booster with removable shields- Use without the shield to make combination lap/shoulder belts fit right.
If a shoulder belt is available, it is preferable to remove the shield and use it as a belt-positioning booster.
Add the shield when only a lap belt is available. Never use a booster seat with a lap belt alone unless the
booster has a shield. Some boosters have attached shields that cannot be removed, for use with lap belts
alone. They are no longer being produced but still can be used if there are only lap belts in the vehicle.
- Belt-Positioning Booster- These boosters do not have a shield and are to be used ONLY with the vehicle
lap/shoulder belt. Because raising the child improves belt fit, these are called "belt-positioning boosters".
This reduces the potential for belt-induced injury. These give better protection than boosters with shields.
Some have a high back that gives head support for taller children.
- High Back Belt-Positioning Booster- Some are equipped with a removable 5-pt. harness. With the harness
attached, the booster can be used for a child under 40 pounds. With the harness removed, the booster is a
belt-positioning booster for a child 40 to 60 pounds using the vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt. Most have a clip
or strap to hold the shoulder belt in place. For more detailed instructions on car seat installation and usage,
contact the Traffic Unit of the Edgewater Police Department 386.424.2427.
Additional Resources Online:
National Highway Traffic Safety Admin - http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Child Protective Services Division - 407.665.KIDS (5437)
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