1. Keeping Children Safe and Protective Behaviours
Lisa Challinor
Head of House – Benet

2. What does taking care look like…?

3. Keeping children safe
We can’t bubble wrap our children… or more importantly, we shouldn’t.
How do they learn what to do without us beside them?
What is required for them is a culture in which they know when they feel unsafe and have been taught the principles of what to do about that feeling.

4. How do you feel…?

5. How do you feel…?

6. We all have an internal continuum line from safe to unsafe behaviours Where would your child place these experiences?
Safe
Fun to Feel Scared
Risking on Purpose
Unsafe
Asking a question in class
Taking a music exam
Riding a rollercoaster
Abseiling off the PC tower for charity
Hitchhiking
Trying a vape pen/cigarette
Auditioning for the Talent Show

7. What are Protective Behaviours?
Protective Behaviours began in the 1970s and is now common currency in Warwickshire Primary schools
It is a whole-school concept and culture, NOT a REAL time session or a tutor time activity
It is about empowerment – emotional literacy is the foundation of safety:
Feelings
Choices
What are Protective Behaviours?

8. Protective Behaviours Key themes
We all have the right to feel safe all the time.
Theme 2:
We can talk with someone about anything , even if it feels awful or small.

9. Protective Behaviours
The F Word is central
In Protective Behaviours, this is feelings
You have feelings, you are not feelings
I am angry. I feel angry.
No one can make you feel anything
You can’t stop feeling something because someone tells you to – “don’t worry” “calm down”

10. Of course, feeling unsafe doesn’t always mean that we are in danger But we may want to know…
Choice
Control
Time limit
Do I have an option to not do what is making me feel this way?
Is this a managed situation?
How long will this experience/ these feelings last?
Our feelings can be complicated to understand.
Our body warning us that we feel unsafe has crossover with how we feel when we are excited or adrenaline is running through our bodies…

11. Early Warning Signs
How does my body communicate to me that I am feeling unsafe?

12. 7 Protective Behaviours Strategies What can be done if you feel unsafe?
Protective Interruption
Language of Safety
One Step Removed
Risking on Purpose
Persistence
Network Review
Theme Reinforcement

13. Protective Interruption
Anything that we do to keep ourselves or others safe from potential or actual harm
Saying “yes” or “no”
“my Mum is calling, I need to take the call”
grabbing a child about to run into the road
talking to someone on your network to help you to feel safer

14. The language of Safety
The Language of Safety is the glue that holds the Protective Behaviours process together.
Language is a powerful vehicle of meaning even when we don’t want it to be:
“Don’t be silly”
“Man up”
“It’ll be fine”
“Your mother will kill me when she sees this!”
Avoid using judgement language or right/wrong, good/bad, instead focus on safe and unsafe.
What did you gain by shouting it…?

15. A Personal Network

16. What is required for safeguarding your child?
A culture that notices, listens, believes and responds
Parents/ guardians/ adults around them that communicate, are receptive to when a child needs to talk… and can listen
Self-awareness to know when something isn’t right and what they can do about that unsafe feeling