Staying safe 2022-10-11T11:44:41+00:00

Featured Video: Knife Crime

Street Robbery and Violence

Street crime is often opportunistic, so making yourself less of a target, moving with purpose and being aware of your surroundings will go a long way to keeping you safe. Where possible you should keep your valuables hidden so as not to attract any unwanted attention. It is important to remember that if you are threatened with violence, don’t risk your personal safety – property can be replaced, you can’t. When you are out remember: be prepared, be assertive and be aware.

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Gangs

Young people may join gangs for various reasons – power, protection, peer pressure amongst other things. It would be wise to look out for signs a child might adopt as a member or associate of a gang. These signs include a specific dress style, talking differently (new slang or language) and unexplained injuries or sums of money/possessions as well as other things. We encourage parents to talk to their children about this serious matter and encourage them to get involved in positive activities. It may also be helpful to get to know your child’s friends and who they choose to spend their time with.

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Child Criminal Exploitation

Sometimes referred to as ‘going country’ or ‘going cuntch’, children can be used by groups for criminal activity such as carrying or selling drugs/weapons. Some groups may send the children out of their local area and they may be away for several days at a time. When children are sent by older people to commit crime which is of benefit to the older person, gang/group, this is exploitation and trafficking. If you have any concerns regarding your child being criminally exploited, it is important you report these concerns to Children’s Social Care. They will be able to help you protect your child and assess the risk of harm. There may be other evidence that your child is being exploited, such as interactions on social media, unexplained money or phones, clothing or gifts, change in behaviour; where possible try to keep a record of this. Don’t be worried about contacting the police – you are trying to protect your child

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Money Mules

Fraudsters use money mules to transfer money between accounts in exchange for a small amount. If you let this happen, you are involved in money laundering, which is a crime. Fraudsters can contact you both online or in person and sometimes post jobs online which look like a genuine advertisement. Once you become involved in it can be hard or even dangerous to stop as you could be attacked or threatened with violence if you don’t continue to let your account be used by criminals. If you become involved in money laundering, your bank account can be closed, students may struggle to access student loans, you will have trouble getting a phone contract and applying for credit and you could also face up to 14 years in prison.

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Child Sexual Exploitation

Child sexual exploitation is a type of sexual abuse. Children in this situation may receive gifts or money as a result of performing sexual activities or allowing others to perform sexual activities on them. These children may be tricked into thinking they are in a healthy, consensual relationship or they may be groomed and exploited online. Young people often trust their abuser and don’t understand that they’re being abused. They may depend on their abuser or be too scared to tell anyone what’s happening. Sexual exploitation is a complicated issue. And children who have experienced it may have extremely complex needs. If you have any concerns a child may be being sexually exploited or you discover a child has been/is being sexually exploited please contact the relevant authorities immediately to ensure the child is protected from further abuse. Therapeutic services are vital to helping children who’ve been sexually exploited to understand what’s happened to them and move on from their experience.

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol can have a serious effect on your body, even if you only have a small amount. It can make you violent, vulnerable and can lead to alcoholism. There are also serious repercussions for your physical health, including damage to your liver, heart, stomach and even your brain. Similarly, drugs also come with serious risks to both your physical and mental health: you can easily become addicted and dependant on drugs, you will suffer financially in order to obtain the drugs and you can get yourself into serious trouble with the law.

If you’re worried your child is using drugs or alcohol, the best thing to do is sit down and have a calm and honest conversation with them. The following signs don’t necessarily mean your child is taking drugs/drinking alcohol, but could be worth looking out for.

Is your child:

  • mixing with new friends who may use these substances?
  • experiencing mood swings?
  • behaving badly or showing a bad attitude?
  • not sleeping properly and getting up very late?
  • being secretive or evasive about where they’re going and what they’re doing?
  • having problems in school, like poor performance or absences?

 

For more advice and information regarding this issue, please see the resources below:

Talk to us

If you would like to talk to someone at school, please come and talk to Mr Truan, your Head of Year or your Assistant Head of Year.