Historically, children and youth have been a vulnerable target for traumatic events and risky situations. To minimize their risk, it is important to help children recognize when they are in danger. This also teaches them when they need to ask for help. This population often struggles to see past intense feelings of fear or hopelessness. Therefore, it is important to provide them with the tools they need to access a safety in difficult times. Regardless of the situation, safety planning with youth can help them minimize their exposure to dangers or reduce the harm inflicted. This is especially true in cases of domestic violence, house fire, sexual assault, suicide risk, and so forth.
Although there are many ways to develop safety plans, there are some basic steps that can help. The first step is having the conversation with children about safety planning. This will look different for everyone as age plays a large factor in what a conversation will look like. To note, regardless of age, the child should be aware that they have the right to safety and that’s why you’re having this conversation. A lot of children already use safety planning, and may not know it. You can bring up examples they may be familiar. These can include looking both ways before crossing the road, calling 911 if they are in danger, or making sure family or friends always know where they are going.
Some potential things to cover in a safety plan include teaching them when to recognize danger and what an escape plan looks like for that circumstances. Phone numbers they can call in times of danger (and what to tell emergency services if necessary), places they can hide to stay safe, and people they can trust and ask for help. Safety plans can be much more in depth and have multiple steps for multiple possible situations. In some cases, they can be as simple as teaching them how to call 911. Make sure their safety plan is age appropriate for them.
It is important to know that safety planning is also something that can be done to prevent crisis. It just means we need to change the language we use. Instead of “when this happens”, using “if this ever happens” helps plan for future incidents. Finally, it’s important to recognize when we need assistance in helping the youth in our lives. Accessing additional resources (police, counsellors, emergency room) as necessary can help.