Keeping Ourselves Safe (2017) Developed by NZ Police (National Prevention Centre)Years 7-8
Keeping Ourselves Safe
Years 7-8 Focus area 2
This section contains one of the following Focus areas from the Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS) programme for years 7–8 (ages 11–12):
- Keeping one step ahead
- I’m responsible for others, too
- Finding out about abuse
- Families working together
- Reporting abuse
- What happens now?
Note: Research suggests that an effective Keeping Ourselves Safe programme should include learning experiences from each of the six focus areas.
Contents
Focus area 2: I’m responsible for others, too
Explanation
Curriculum links
Success criteria
Resources
Activities
The Babysitter
When I Forgot
At the Disco
Playground Bully
Playground Bully
Focus area 2:I’m responsible for others,too
Notes for the teacher
Ensure that safety guidelines are in place. All school staff (not just the teachers concerned) must know what to do if a student discloses abuse to them during or after Keeping Ourselves Safe. Parents should also be made aware of what to do. See the Child Protection Guidelines available on the School Portal.
Explanation
Students will, from time to time, be responsible for the safety of others. They need strategies to enable them to do this with confidence. In this Focus area they explore situations involving:
- the care of siblings and a dependent grandparent
- peers’ need for support when being bullied.
They have the opportunity to visit a preschool centre and/or a home for elderly people to observe others in a caring role.
Babysitting – Summary Offences Act 1981, Section 10B
In New Zealand it is an offence for a parent, guardian or caregiver to leave a child under the age of 14 years alone without making reasonable arrangements for that child's care and supervision.
What are reasonable arrangements for care and supervision will depend on factors such as the child's age, the duration of the absence of the adult and where the child is left.
A person may be liable to a fine not exceeding $2000 if found in breach of this law.
Ifbullying is a problem at your school, ask your School Community Officer for information on theKia Kaha programme.
Curriculum links
Key competencies: Managing self; Relating to others; Participating and contributing
Learning area: Level 3 Health and Physical Education – Strand C: Identity, sensitivity and respect; Interpersonal skills
Level 4 Health and Physical Education – Strand C: Relationships; Identity, sensitivity and respect; Interpersonal skills
Success criteria
Students demonstrate a responsible attitude towards their own safety and that of other people they may be with.
Resources
Stories:- The Babysitter
- When I Forgot
- The Disco
- The Playground Bully
Activities
1.Babysitting
Read the storyThe Babysitterto the class.
a.The Babysitter
Ask:What problems did the babysitter face?
How did the babysitter cope?
Do you think the babysitter behaved in a responsible way?
What problems have you had when babysitting?
How did you cope?
Talk about the importance of having a back-up person if you are left to mind younger children. This could be a neighbour or a relative that you could ring if you were worried about something.
Divide the class into groups and ask each group to list the difficulties babysitters could face. Then discuss the points as a class and make a class list. Now, discuss what guidelines babysitters would need to help them cope with the difficulties on the list.
Ask the class to design a leaflet to be taken home and discussed with parents before it is edited, typed, and made into a booklet. The cover and illustrations could be part of an art activity. Finished booklets could be displayed in the classroom.
2.Bullying
View one or both of the cartoon strips in turn.
Discuss them, using the questions below as a guide.
a.At the Disco
Two friends arrive at the disco. One joins another group and her friend is left out. Should the first girl go back to her friend or go off with the group?
Ask:What has happened?
How do you think the girl with the dark hair is feeling?
What is the dilemma her friend has?
What do you think the friend should do?
Have you ever been in a situation like this?
How did you feel?
What did you do about it?
Why do you think young people are sometimes unkind to each other?
How can friends be supportive?
Invite the class to draw the last frame of the cartoon, to show a positive ending.
b.The Playground Bully
Two friends are playing basketball. A group of boys arrive. One takes the ball and pushes one of the friends over. What could his friend do to help?
Ask:What has happened?
Why do you think the bigger boys picked on the boy with the ball?
How do you think he is feeling?
How is his friend feeling?
What can the friend do to help?
Has anything like this ever happened to you?
How did you cope?
Have you ever helped a friend who was being bullied?
How did that feel?
Invite the class to draw the last frame of the cartoon to show a positive ending.
3.Caring for others
Read the story When I Forgotto the class.
Ask:Why does Grandad need so much care?
How well do you think Katie usually looks out for him?
What happened on the day she forgot?
How well do you think she handled the emergency situation?
What did her family do to make things better?
Who has an older family member living with them?
How do you feel about this?
What can you do to help them keep safe?
4.Taking action
Groups of students could visit a preschool centre and/or a home for elderly people to observe others caring for younger and/or older people. The students should ask the adult carers about their responsibilities and how they cope with them.
Alternatively, you could invite someone who works at such a place to come into the classroom and answer the questions the children have prepared.
The Babysitter
by William Taylor
“Comin’ into town after the game Saturday?” asked Joe.
“Nah,” said Michael.
“Aw, why not? We’re all going.”
What could he say? “Gotta job to do for me old man.”
“Do it Sunday,” said Joe.
“Can’t,” Michael said firmly, and hoped that the tone of his voice would end any other questions.
Babysitting? What did he know about babies? All he knew was that this particular baby had better behave herself. Behave herself? What would he do if she didn’t? Michael wasn’t looking forward to being a babysitter that Saturday night.
Saturday night soon came around, and Michael arrived at his older brother’s place where he was to babysit. Kevin and June, Kevin’s wife, were getting ready. They were going to the movies with Michael’s parents. They had just put Suzy, the little girl, to bed.
“It’s really good of you, Mike,” said Kevin.
“No sweat. Wasn’t doing anything else. Glad to help out,” said Michael.
“Oh yeah?” Kevin gave him a smile. “Look, Mike, here’s ten bucks for your trouble.”
“Nah. Won’t take it,” said Michael, very badly wanting to. “Call it my present for your anniversary.”
“Well, help yourself to whatever you can find. Fridge is full and there’s cake in the tin. You just help yourself. And the kid’ll be no trouble. She never is.”
“She’s in bed waiting for a story, and I’m just about ready,” said June. “We’ll be at your parents’ till just before eight, Mike, and then we’re all going to the Majestic in town. It’s that new . . .”
“Yeah, yeah. Mum’s told me all that. Now you two get going and leave Suzy and me to sort each other out.”
“One story and then to sleep,” said June.
“Go!” said Michael. “You’ve given me a list so long it’ll take me all night to read it. Mum’s given me a list, too. Anyway, you’ll be home just after eleven. Get out. Go.”
“And to think, we once babysat him,” laughed June.
Michael read Suzy a story. Her favourite one about two dogs, three gardens, and one bone. Halfway through and the little girl slept. Gently Michael pulled the sheet and blanket up to her chin, and tucked her in. She stirred slightly, turned, and then slept, one hand clutchingthe leg of her rather battered teddy-bear. He turned out the main light, leaving only the soft glow of a small night-light.
“Whew!” he said softly to himself. “So far so good, and seven o’clock already. Only four hours to go.’
The cake, the Coke, the crisps, and the telly were good. He turned up the heater and settled on the sofa. Not too bad a life, this. Not too bad at all. Nothing to this babysitting, really. Quite choice, really.
Michael dozed, and Suzy’s first whimpers failed to rouse him. She cried.
He woke. “Wha? Wha?” He stood, uncertain at first and then he remembered. The kid. Crying? What the . . .?
“Want Mummy. Mummy. Want Mummy . . .” Suzy was half out of bed. She cried. “Sick. Sick. Want Mummy.”
She sure was sick. The sight and the smell hit Michael head on. “Suzy. What’s wrong, Suzy?”
“Want Mummy . . .”
“Stay there, Suzy, I’ll get a towel,” Michael ran to the bathroom and grabbed towels from their rails.
Suzy cried louder.
“Sshh. Sshh. You’ll be O.K. Just a bit of sick, that’s all.” He wrinkled his nose and wiped the vomit from the child’s face as best he could. Her face, her pillow, her blankets.
Suzy pushed him away. She was crying louder. “Want Mummy,” she almost yelled, pushing at Michael with all her three-year-old strength. Then she was sick again.
“Hang on, Suzy. I’ll get you a drink of water. I’ll get a bowl.”
“Mummy . . .” a shriek now. She wouldn’t drink the water. She cried again as he tried further to clean her. His nose told him it was probably more than sick that needed cleaning up, too.
“Want Mummy. Mummy. Want Mummy . . .”
“Hang on, Suzy. I’ll try to get Mummy,” said Michael, a desperate tone in his voice. “Lie down now. Michael try to get your Mummy. Michael get your Mummy for you.”
Suzy quietened enough to let him roughly tuck her in. He wished that his mother was at home so he could call her.
Desperately he hunted out the list June and Kevin had left for him. Picture theatre? He looked at his watch. Yeah. Theatre, that was it. Found the phone. Dialled. Busy signal. Put down receiver. Dialled again. Still busy.
“Blast!” he said, savagely. He rubbed his forehead with his hand and the smell of sick hit him. Now what? Dialled again. Still busy.
Suzy still cried. Louder now. He saw, thankfully, that she had not been sick again. “Mummy, Mummy,” she cried.
“Mummy’s coming,” Michael lied. “Mummy’s coming soon.” He looked at the pale face of the little girl and knew he couldn’t cope with her like this for another two hours or more. He left the room and her whimpers seemed to follow him.
Next door? He ran out into the clear night. No lights next door. No lights, nothing, either way. No signs or sounds of life. Nothing over the road except the shadowy trees of a park. Some lights down the street further. Too far. He couldn’t leave the kid. Not in the state she was in.
Phone the picture theatre again. Through! Thank God. Through. Five rings. Ten. Twelve. Counting each ring. No reply. Please God, let them answer. Nothing. “Please . . .” between gritted teeth.
He slid down the wall holding the receiver to him. What on earth to do?
Suzy’s cries came through to him again, louder now. Feeling sick himself he dragged back to her room. One look at the girl told him there was no more time for mucking about trying to get her parents. He tried to hold her, to comfort her, but her little and desperate strength told him this was no use. She pushed him away. And she had stopped calling for her mother. “Hang on, Suzy,” he said. “I’ll get us someone. Someone’ll be here real soon.” He looked at the child. She seemed beyond caring what he did.
Could he do it right?
He took the phone and slowly, carefully, dialled one-one-one. One, two rings and then an answer.
“Operator here, which service please?”
Michael breathed hard. “My name is Michael Anderson. I’m at fifteen Gordon Drive and I’m babysitting for a baby and it’s sick and I can’t get its Mum.”
“I’ll put you through to Ambulance.”
“Ambulance.”
Michael took a deep breath, then repeated, “My name is Michael Anderson. I’m at fifteen Gordon Drive and I’m babysitting for a baby and it’s sick and I can’t get its Mum.”
“What’s wrong?” the voice said.
“I can’t get her parents because they won’t answer the phone at the picture theatre where they’ve gone to.”
“Yes. But what’s wrong?”
“The baby. The girl. She’s three. She’s very sick. She’s been spewing and she’s sort of screaming and she won’t let me help her or anything or touch her or anything like that and it’s everywhere,” the words tumbled, jumbled, and he heard his own voice start to shake. “Everywhere and I don’t know what . . .”
“Hey, there. Hold on. You’re doing just fine. O.K. now. You tell me where you are . . .”
“I told you,” Michael yelled now. “Fifteen Gordon Drive.”
“Phone number where you are?”
He gave it.
“Go back to the baby now. Just stay with her. Make sure she’s warm. Don’t bother trying to clean her up. Just stay with her.”
“And . . .” said Michael.
“Someone’ll be there in just a few minutes. Go on. Get back to her now,” said the voice.
“It’s O.K., Suzy. Someone’s coming. Real soon, Suzy . . .” He sat by her.
After that things happened very fast. Almost before he had found time to wipe Suzy’s face and sit on the side of her bed, holding one small hand, two ambulance officers had arrived.
“Stomach upset . . .”
“She’ll be O.K. . . .”
“Parents . . .?”
“There, there, little one . . .”
“Nothing too wrong here . . .”
Suzy cried out, then was quiet. Big eyes followed every action of this group of strangers.
Michael hovered in the background, uncertain as to what to do or, if indeed, he needed to do anything. One part of him hoped these people would stay. Another part of him just wished they’d clean the place up and get out before June and Kev got back. And what on earth could he tell June and Kev?
“You did the right thing,” one of the ambulance officers said.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” he explained. “I couldn’t get her mum and dad. I tried.”
“Looks as though she’ll be fine. Bit of a tummy bug, I reckon. One of mine had it last week. Think we’ll give a hand to clean up a little and then one of us’ll hang on with you until her parents get back. If what you say is right that should be just about now.”
“Whew!” said Michael to his own parents about an hour later, and after he’d finished telling them of the emergency. “And you reckoned babysitting was a piece of cake.”
“Well,” said his mother. “I told you boys could do anything, and it does seem to me you managed just fine. June thinks so, too. She did phone me, you know.”
“Yeah, well, there’s some things this kid doesn’t want to do again for quite some time.”
“Off you go now and have a shower,” she smiled. “You sure smell like you need one. I’ll make you some Milo.”
“Reckon I’d trust you babysitting for anyone,” said his father. “Seems to me you’ll be in great demand when news of this gets around.”
A big grin.
“Not on your . . .” Michael started and then smiled at his father.
“Whew!” he said.
“Yeah, I was just joking,” said his father.
When I Forgot
by Janice Marriott
I opened the airing cupboard to find a clean tea towel. On top of the towels was the sugar bowl. I returned it to its place on the kitchen bench. No need to tell anyone. It was just Grandad doing his thing.
Mum rushed through the kitchen with piles of baby clothes and old cut up blankets.
“You will keep an eye on him, won’t you? Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“Sure, Mum.”
She was referring to Grandad.
“It’s just that he gets so agitated in someone else’s house now, even Keri’s and heaven knows he’s been there often enough. And with the baby, and Dad picking things up and putting them down somewhere else, well, I just thought - “