School Bus Safety

Teach the Child :-

• To be at the bus stop early.
• Never to run after the bus if she is late, because of risk of inquiry from an incoming vehicle
• Wait for the bus in a safe place.
• Not to talk to strangers or accept rides with anyone.
• To never cross behind the bus as there are blind spots around the bus where the driver cannot see. Teach him to cross in front of a stationary bus and to always walk 10 steps in front of the bus.
• While in the school bus not to distract the driver because he needs to pay attention to the road and traffic.
• To remain seated.
• Not to take out her heads, arms or hands outside the bus windows.
• To beware of hazards presented by long scarves, loose bag straps etc while exiting or entering a bus. Care has to be taken to ensure that clothes and bags don't get caught in the door.
• Not to go under a bus or run towards a moving bus to retrieve something they have dropped.
• To stay away from the doors.

Your checklist-

• Make sure that the school you choose has a good school bus (or other travel arrangement) which conforms to minimum safety standards.
• Ensure that the child is up early enough so that he doesn't miss the bus and look for alternate arrangements on his own.
• Teach road rules - look to both sides before crossing, cross at Zebra Crossings etc.
• If you are working, work out a system with the child for calling you when he reaches home.

On-line safety

It has become absolutely essential for parents to keep themselves well informed about their children's surfing habits - whom they're contacting, how much time they're spending on-line, etc.
What you should be afraid of on the Net: -

ü Adult and child pornography - this is illegal but extremely graphic, violent and desensitising. An innocent keyword typed into a search engine or the misspelling of a web site's name can lead children into sites that are shocking and often difficult to leave.
ü E-mail addresses can be gathered and other deceitful marketing practices can be employed. People and their personal information are vulnerable from unscrupulous individuals and companies.
ü Hate sites, cult sites, weapon related sites can also include bomb making formulas, violent ideas & images and provide a venue for certain groups to convince children to join them and further their cause.
ü Paedophiles exploit the anonymity of the interactive areas frequented by children where they look for unassuming kids with whom they can cultivate a relationship.

• Place the computer where you can see the screen as you go about your business.
• Become computer savvy and ensure that other caregivers are too.
• Spend time with them while browsing on the internet. Participate in fun, family oriented activities.
• Encourage children to share their on-line discoveries with you.
• Communicate the dangers clearly and also explain how to avoid them.
• Explain to the children that they should never give out any personal information on-line. This includes last name, home address and telephone number, parent's work address or telephone number, name or location of school and financial information.
• Children should never agree to meeting face-to-face with a person they have met on-line, without parental permission.
• Explain that people they meet online are not always who they say there are.
• Children should not send their photograph or other identifying information without parental permission.
• Children should not download anything from the internet without informing the parents.
• Children should agree to tell their parents immediately if they encounter a person or site that makes them feel uncomfortable.
• Teach the child the 'back' button in your browser. He should know that any time he finds a site uncomfortable he can get out of it by clicking this button.
• Think about investing in a filter or censorship programme. These can be downloaded from a website like www.moochers.com. These programmes can block out sites with key words which you can add on a list. They can also block access to a list of sites deemed unsuitable for minors. The only problem is that children can learn to disable the password.
• Check the 'history's section of your browser to keep tabs on sites visited.
• If you allow your children to use chat, sit next to them when they are chatting online.
  
  
  

  Safety Rules - Never talk to strangers. Never take lifts. Tell your parents immediately if somebody makes them feel uncomfortable. Never make friends that they can't bring them home to meet you. Avoid dangerously isolated spots even when they know the person they are with very well.

  
  

  Related Links
  Sexual Abuse Guidebook	Sexual Education