Safe Futures Canada

Backpacks, Bullies & Cyberspace

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:36:44 +0000

For many students, back to school time isn’t just a time for new binders, pencils and clothes. It’s a time for the summer break from bullying, both cyber and physical. Your children may not tell you of their fears about bullying as you prep them for another school year, so it’s up to you to ask the right questions and get in the game. Most students have some sort of anxiety about the beginning of a new school year and parents can help.
Bullying has been around forever, but when you add e-mail, blogs, instant messaging, and other electronic devices, it gives the bully new and powerful tools with entirely new dimensions. It can be a scary concept if you really think about it. The average rate of internet use, per household, climbs dramatically in the summer. When students return to school, the amount of time spent on-line may decrease but on-line behaviour seems to stay the same and can become more aggressive. With a new audience, bullies and cyber bullies can often escalate situations that seemed to dissipate over the summer. They can deliver accusations and threats 24hrs a day rather than during breaks and recess at school. Kids need strategies to combat bullies in the school yard just as they need a plan for on-line harassment.
It is time for families to support each other and take back the internet in their homes.

Come up with a family plan about how you will respond to cyber bullying.
As a family, come up with a plan that everyone can promise to stick to:
•Start with a conversation about cyberbullying — what it is and why people do it.
Encourage your children to report bullying to you. Don’t dismiss their problems and let them know that you will take action with them. They also need to know that if their strategies are no longer working, you will advocate on their behalf.
•Talk about how you as a parent will respond. Reassure kids that you won’t “freak out” (as hard as that may be) providing they are following the rules. Telling them to “turn off their phone”, or “stay off the Internet” doesn’t help. These connections are their lifelines to friends.
•Talk about, under any circumstance, bullying someone else or retaliation is not acceptable. Make it clear what the consequences will be
•Understand both your child’s school policy and its actual responses toward bullying
Some quick tips for kids
•Do not open e-mail or messages from someone that has been harassing you
•Delete comments on photo’s, walls and profiles…do your best to ignore them
•If you do read messages or wall posts, copy them, take screenshots or print them out
•Walk away from your computer and tell someone
•Block the person from MSN, Facebook or other social media
•Try not to engage in discussions at school the next day about comments that were posted
•Make sure to report any form of bullying. Take it seriously if you want it to stop

Safe Futures Canada Tip of the Week – Internet Safety

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:08:58 +0000

As promised, here is our very first Tip of the Week. Please let us know if you found it helpful. Enjoy

Video safety tips coming soon

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:20:31 +0000

Scott and I had a great meeting with our friend Justin today to talk about Safe Futures and possibilities for the future.
One of the new features that we will be adding to our site is video blogging. We will be posting “Tip of the Week” segments in order to share out philosophies about issues of safety.

Check back often to see new tips, hot topics in the media and updates about Safe Futures Canada. We are busy preparing for our speaking engagements in the fall and look forward to bringing you new and improved topics in the weeks to come.

Sonia

Kids Learn to stay safe while HOME ALONE

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:50:24 +0000

On June 14th and 15th, Safe Futures Canada presented Home Alone to more than 30 youth between the ages of ten and fourteen at Princess Elizabeth P.S. in Orangeville. This two day session featured four hours of training, covering topics such as what to do in the event of emergency, strategies to help lessen fears of being home alone, and how to create an emergency contact list.
Day two featured one and a half hours of self defense awareness, presented by John Johanis and his team from Johanis’ Karate School. The training concluded with kids receiving a certificate of achievement and are now equipped to stay home alone when necessary. Safe Futures Canada would like to sincerely thank the students that took part in the training and their parents, John and Elise Johanis, as well as the parent council and staff of Princess Elizabeth P.S. for making the training possible.

SaferNet at St. Andrew’s Elementary School, Orangeville

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:15:49 +0000

SaferNet -How to keep kids safe on-line
June 9th, St Andrew’s Elementary School, Orangeville
The youngest growing demographic on the internet in Canada is pre-schoolers. That in addition to the statistic that 99% of students access the internet before grade 7, tells us at Safe Futures Canada that everyone requires internet safety information in our community.
This informative and interactive workshop will allow parents and children to learn about social networking trends, safety strategies and internet predators. Everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions and test their internet safety skills.
This will be an excellent chance for parents to learn more about what their children are doing on-line and create an internet safety contract. Children of all ages are welcome.
Please contact us for further information 905-866-2172

Home Alone Kid’s Academy

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:06:46 +0000

Title: Home Alone Kid’s Academy
Location: Princess Elizabeth Public School
Start Time: 4:00
Date: 2010-06-14
End Time: 6:00

Our Services

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:37:49 +0000

Safe Futures Canada provides presentations and interactive programs for parents, members of the community as well as youth and students of all ages. Each program has been developed to accommodate and target these various markets.

We develop and deliver a variety of programs and presentations to address violence prevention, bullying and issues of safety. We endeavour to consistently raise the level of awareness in the community through innovative program delivery and maintaining full service packages. Our approach is truly a pro-active, all inclusive one. Our goal is to generate an interconnected environment for learning by incorporating students, community members, police, schools and parents in the process. Creating a positive and pro-active environment will generate a decrease in violence and bullying while increasing safety awareness.

Our services include programs, presentations and literature related to the following areas of safety:

Internet Safety
Personal Safety
Bullying
Street Safety
Youth counselling and consulting
Safety tips for families and related articles

Safe Futures Canada will develop specific programs and presentations for your organization at your request.

Safe Futures Canada

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:52:20 +0000

Safe Futures Canada develops and delivers a variety of programs and presentations that address the issues of safety. Whether it is bullying, internet safety, social networking, personal safety, violence or issues that face youth today, we offer a dynamic presentation.

Our varied audience of community members, parents, students and employees have provided us with excellent feedback and continue to encourage us in our endeavours.

Our knowledgeable team consisting of an experienced police officer and child and youth worker has proven to provide a unique approach to delivering our programs. We promote a community approach that creates a pro-active, positive environment in order to decrease violence and bullying while increasing safety awareness.