Summary

Parents and professionals supporting children can purchase educational resources on the Safe4Kids website. These resources can be used as a preventative measure to educate children on the risks of sexual abuse, or as a tool to implement in light of a child experiencing abuse within or external to the home or school settings.

Target Population

The Safe4Kids resources are targeted at children in early years childcare settings, primary schools and secondary schools. The Safe4Kids Program is targeted at professionals working with children within these settings. There are also resources and tailor-made training opportunities and a Parents’ Information Course for parents.

Delivery organisation

Safe4Kids is based in Perth, Western Australia. Their mission is to help keep children safe from abuse by offering child protection education resources and child protection education and training for parents, teachers and educators in Australia and internationally. They have had over 30 years’ experience in delivering child protection education, and as such believe they understand the challenges of teaching this sensitive topic.

Holly-ann Martin is the Managing Director of Safe4Kids and delivers all the child protection education training for the company. With over thirty years experience in teaching child abuse prevention education, Holly-ann can draw on a wealth of knowledge to provide you with valuable information and strategies that you can implement straight away to help protect the children in your lives.

Mode and context of delivery

Parents and professionals supporting children can purchase educational resources on the Safe4Kids website. These resources can be used as a preventative measure to educate children on the risks of sexual abuse, or as a tool to implement in light of a child experiencing abuse within or external to the home or school settings. The resources come in a variety of forms including posters, books, and banners. For parents and professionals looking to learn more about child abuse related issues, there are opportunities to complete a Parents’ Information Course or Safe4Kids Protective Education Program respectively.

Level/Nature of staff expertise required

The Safe4Kids website does not outline that parents or professionals need prior knowledge about issues related to child abuse to effectively use their websites. However, talking about such issues may encourage subsequent questions from children therefore adults need to be prepared to answer them; for this reason, prior knowledge will be incredibly helpful for the adult, although not essential. The Safe4Kids Protective Education Program is designed to educate professionals working with early years educators and primary school teachers.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

Child engagement with resources should be encouraged by parents and professionals. Engagement will also be influenced by ease of access and repeated exposure to resources by children. Regular engagement with resources is encouraged to ensure the messages delivered by the resources are well instilled and understood by each child.

Description of intervention

Safe4Kids offer a range of interventions. Firstly, there are a number of quality child protection education resources, such as books, games, and posters. They are also suitable for parents to use with their children. Here is a list of resources available to purchase on the Safe4Kids website:

• Boy Puberty: How to talk about puberty and sex with your tween boy
• Early Warning Signs Banner – Aboriginal Boy
• Actually, I Can
• Early Warning Signs Banner – Aboriginal Girl
• Early Warning Signs Banner – Boy
• Early Warning Signs Banner – Girl
• Early Warning Signs Poster
• Early Warning Signs Poster – Aboriginal Children
• Everyone’s Got a Bottom
• Feelings Bingo Game
• Feelings Cards Game
• Feelings Poster
• Gary Just Didn’t Know the Rule
• Girl Puberty: How to talk about puberty and sex with your tween girl
• Go Away, Mr Worrythoughts!
• Good Pictures Bad Pictures
• Hayden-Reece Learns a Valuable Lesson that private Means ‘Just For Your’ (Second Edition)
• Hayden-Reece Leans What To Do if Children See Private Pictures or Private Movies        
• Is This Normal?
• Matilda Learns a Valuable Lesson (Second Edition)
• Merit Certificates
• My Body Belongs to Me: A book about body safety
• My Underpants Rule
• No Means No!
• Not For Kids!
• Parents’ and Carers’ Guide to Child Protection Education
• Parents’ Guide to Child Protection Education
• Playing Safely Merit Certificates
• Safe4Kids Protective Education Program
• Sing Yourself Safe CD
• Smart Parenting for Safer Kids
• Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept
• Someone Should Have Told Me
• The Protecting Kids Board Game
• Theme Posters
• Theme Posters – Aboriginal Boy

Secondly, the child protection education and training provided is up-to-date and can be tailor-made to suit individual requirements. Whether it is a parents’ information session, professional development for teachers, childcare educators, or agency staff, or, in-class modelling of protective behaviours lessons, each training session can be tailored to include content specific to your needs.

The training Safe4Kids provides related to educating children with special needs is evolving all the time. It is essential teachers are given the training and tools to deliver these body safety messages at the appropriate level the children can comprehend. Safe4Kids have designed a complete protective education program for children aged from three to seven years and for children with special needs, to help teach these children.

Another training area Safe4Kids specializes in is the delivery of child abuse prevention education in Aboriginal communities. For the past ten years, Safe4Kids has delivered the Safe4Kids program in remote Aboriginal communities across Australia, particularly in the Central Desert (Northern Territory) and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The company has built a solid rapport with these communities, which is evident as they are regularly invited back to continue the delivery of the Safe4Kids Program.

Evaluation

No evaluation has been conducted into the effectiveness of Safe4Kid’s resources and training programs. However, the testimonials below indicate that individuals value the work that Safe4Kid’s are doing.

“Today we had 38 adults and 19 children attending ‘Families as First Teachers’ – SAFE 4 KIDS workshop.  The SAFE 4 KIDS programme has been extremely well received by the community here in Ali Curung.  I have found that Aboriginal people vote with their feet and they certainly did for this event.  While I was taking parents and children home after the event, one commented that it was good and all others on the bus agreed.  This was a comment and response that wasn’t canvassed by me but freely given.  We want to say huge thank you to Shontell, our Principal for giving us the opportunity to participate in this whole school event.  Also, to Holly-ann and Roger for delivering the programme and empowering a whole community.”

“I have been lucky enough to read the incredible books written by Holly-ann Martin and can’t recommend them highly enough. Adults can often be unsure about how to discuss this subject with children in their care. These books will change that and provide a catalyst for open and safe discussions. Thank you Holly-ann for the incredible and much-needed work you’re doing.”

“This training for me was the first time I heard some talking to openly about sexual abuse problems in community. I think it is good that Holly can be honest with us and try to help us out in keeping all of our kids in Yuendumu safe. The things that Holly did with the kids on the mat were easy for them to understand, it was clear and they loved to do the sign. It surprises me how quickly those kids learned from Holly and they would yell back to her in those exercises where she pretends to hurt them. I seen those kids using those same words in the playground that same day after that Holly left our class. It was good and we have kept it going each day in the classroom and outside too. I have used it even at my home with my kids. The kids really know about safe and unsafe from what Holly taught them, the thumbs up and down is easy for everyone to use and even without words or yelling at them kids. Those kids really did learn what was right and not right, they understand that they have to talk to someone in the community about these problems. I think Holly should come back and show the kids to teach them more about this problem. I really think the kids will stop fighting and stand up for themselves because now they have the right words to say to one another.”

References

No references available.

Contact details

Website:            www.safe4kids.com.au

Email:                 info@safe4kids.com.au

Address:            PO Box 367, Armadale, Western Australia, 6992

Phone:               +61 8 9497 7685

Mobile (1):        0422 971 189

Mobile (2):        0438 772 668

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JANUARY 2021

RATING: Pioneering