Keeping Ourselves Safe

- a child abuse prevention programme

The NZ Police Youth Education

Service

Aim of Keeping Ourselves Safe

(KOS)• Teach children and young people a range of safe practices

that they can use when interacting with other people

• Encourage children and young people who have been, or are being abused, to seek help

• Contribute to an overall community prevention programme by making parents and teachers more aware of their responsibilities to help children and young people avoid abuse

Concepts on which KOS is based

• Abuse is unacceptable and is a crime • Abuse takes many forms and all can be

damaging• Abuse is never the victim’s fault • Everyone has a responsibility to help prevent

abuse of children and young people • Children and young people can be taught to

recognise, avoid and report abuse. • They need KOS right through schooling• Centres and schools must have effective policies

and procedures

Five Teaching Modules

All about Me Early Childhood Age 2-5

Knowing What to DoJunior Primary Age 5-7

Getting HelpMiddle Primary Age 8-10

Standing Up for MyselfSenior Primary Age 11-12

Building ResiliencySecondary Age13 -17

A Whole School Approach

• The whole school community is committed to keeping students and staff free from harm and abuse

• Parents and caregivers are informed and consulted• A child protection policy and procedures have been

developed and shared• Teaching of KOS has been carefully planned• Teaching takes place right across the school• Evaluation takes place regularly• Most schools teach KOS on a two year cycle• KOS is embedded in early childhood learning

programmes

Parents and Caregivers

• Attend a consultation meeting before teaching

• Give consistent safety messages• Practise personal safety skills• Set family safety guidelines• Recognise signs and symptoms of abuse• Know how to respond to disclosures• Take part in evaluation

Education Links with Schools

• KOS fits within the NZ Curriculum for primary and secondary schools

• It is taught within the Health and Physical Education learning area

• It helps schools create a safe physical and emotional environment (National Administration Guideline 5)

Education Links with the Early

Childhood Sector

• KOS fits within Te Whäriki, the early childhood curriculum

• It helps centres provide a safe, nurturing environment for babies and young children

(Regulation 28[7])

The Role of the Police Education Officer

(PEO)

The PEO

• Introduces KOS to the school• Assists the school to implement the whole school

approach• Assists with parent/caregiver meetings• Provides all the KOS resources• Works with teachers to tailor KOS to meet class needs• Can teach up to 3 lessons in partnership• Assists with evaluation• Keeps school record cards

A Spiraling Curriculum

• Children and young people get child protection education throughout their schooling

• KOS is appropriate to the age, abilities and social contexts of students

• Learning is reinforced and builds on what has gone before

Contexts

• Being confident and grounded• Feelings• Body awareness• Types of touch• Saying ‘no’• Secrets, tricks and bribes• Trust• Asking for help• Safety rules

Further Contexts

• Reducing risk

• Helping others stay safe

• The nature of abuse

• Family violence

• Anger and violence

• The Law

• Societal Violence

Contents of a KOS Kit

• An implementation book

• A teaching guide

• All the resources that teachers need

• Training DVD for teachers

• Materials for parents/caregivers

KOS Resources

Include:

• Song Cds

• DVD clips

• Photopacks

• Games

• Stories

• Cards – Help, Telling Sequence, What ifs...

Does KOS Work?

• Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs has evaluated school based KOS extensively since the early 1990s

• Early childhood KOS has been evaluated by the Education Review Office (2006-2008)

• These evaluations have produced strong evidence that KOS works

“First I was raped by my grandfather. Then by other members of my family and then friends of my brothers but my brothers didn’t join in. I reported it to a social worker after KOS.”

18 parents confirmed that their children reported sexual abuse immediately after KOS lessons.

“ My friend has a drunk dad. She was crying because her dad bashes her. I told her to tell me about it. Then I comforted her and told her what to do.”

“I stepped in to stop a young kid near the shop getting in a car with a male stranger and I reported it.”

After KOS a girl in the South Island reported abuse and as a result the Police made an arrest of a man involved in Internet child pornography.

KOS empowering teachers and

parents to keep children safe