Criminologist shares essential trick for parents to save kids from danger
Parenting overall is fantastic – except when you're fretting about everything from why the little one hasn't started walking, uttered their first word – or later on, 'it's after 12, where on earth are they?'
Stress, if we're being honest, is a massive part of bringing up your offspring, but a mum has shared some top advice that may help you to bring down that blood pressure. Dannah Eve, who has a degree in criminology and psychology says a simple code word that can be used with your child or teen is a great answer.
Dannah shared her hack on social media, and said: “Here's a safety tip for all of my families out there. Have a code word that you can incorporate into day-to-day life. This is something that I had with my parents growing up. This is something that I use throughout my entire life and this is something that to this day we still use."
The word should be undetectable to those outside the family circle and will be effective in situations where your child doesn’t feel safe and needs some parental support.
A key word could make life for stressed parents so much easier (Getty Images/PhotoAlto)Dannah added: “Now, this could be used in a dangerous situation or just in simple situations where your child wants you to be the one to say no to something.
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The psychologist said examples of where it could be used included, if somebody is picking up your child up from school that's not a parent you should give them the code word so your kid knows that person is trusted, and you can also use it as a way for your child to identify a trusted individual.
She added: “A code word is something that you could also use in a dangerous situation as well.” Dannah said children could use the safe word on a call, or even in a distressing situation, even with friends present.
She said: “Let's say a child is home alone and somebody enters that home, or somebody that they know even enters that home, and they don't feel safe, they can call their mum and dad and somehow work that code word into the conversation, and then the parent knows that something is not right."
She said that a code word had saved her many times while growing up, especially when she wanted to send a secret message to her parents so her friends knew it was her folks who had said no and she didn't look like the one spoiling the party.
Mum-of-three Dr Emma Cunningham, a criminologist and senior lecturer at University of East London (UEL), said: “The idea of using a safe or code word within the family unit to help children and teens to remain safe has the potential to alert their parents when they themselves feel uncomfortable about something or someone.
“In the UK we have had the NSPCC idea of explaining that PANTS stands for: Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you, Speak up, someone can help.
“This idea of also having a code word too is potentially a good way of letting parents know their feelings without them having to challenge or call out someone themselves."
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