If we turn the phrase ‘Child Protection’ around it becomes ‘Protection [of] child’. Protecting children means stopping them from coming into harm or intervening when you realise a child is in a harmful situation. Very few people will purposely put a child in harms way. Rather, some parents just don not realise that what they are doing is harming their child. Accidents, mistakes and harms happen because these people have failed to protect children. I do acknowledge though that a small minority of people delight in harming our children and it is our job as parents to protect our children from these predators that seek our kids out and try to destroy their lives, their self esteem and their chance of growing up free of abuse.

According to statutory organisations (Police, Welfare bodies, etc) harm could be physical, emotional, sexual or neglect. Within each of these areas of harm there are many different ways that children can be hurt or abused. The parents that I talk with share common concerns around child protection in the areas of, water, fire, poison (includes medications), sun, farm, health, and road safety.

Parents are not only the first safety point in child protection but they are also one of the greatest influences on their children. Parents are a child’s first and best teachers. While searching for some practical information on child protection, I came across a great site (McGruff.org) that offers games, activities and parental advise in protecting children from all manner of potential harms.

This is a short extract from their parent and educators page: Young children learn to talk, walk, and interact by watching their parents. As children grow up, they look to their parents to provide guidance, information, nurturing, and expectations. Even during the teenage years when many parents feel they have little influence over their children’s decisions, teens look to them to determine what’s right and wrong. Teens say that their parents are more influential in their decisions than friends, teachers, coaches, and the news media. For this reason, parents are also the best resource to keep their children safe and healthy. As children look to parents for knowledge and guidance, parents can help children develop the skills they need to make positive choices today and for the rest of their lives.

As a parent, it is your job to educate and keep your child safe from harm. When was the last time you talked about road, water, poison, sun, fire or personal safety? It’s never too late to start and you can never talk about it enough. Let’s get some in-home discussions going about child protection.

If you're interested in protecting your children from harm, I recommend the newsletter from Kidproof Safety.