KINGSTON, Jamaica — Parents and guardians are being encouraged to be extra vigilant in safeguarding their children who are now out of school for the summer holidays.

Parents were reminded that due to increased recreational activities during the summer break, children may require extra supervision.

Deputy Registrar at the National Children’s Registry, Lesia Bhagwandat Vassell, in a recent JIS interview, outlined that safety starts with having a conversation with children.

“Teach them about what safety looks like. Firstly, you would want to have a conversation about stranger danger. Do not speak to strangers,” she said, noting that “the statistics are showing that it’s not really the strangers so much that are hurting our children but also the people that they know.”

“So yes, we’re going to tell them that not everybody that they are going to meet is going to be a bad person. We’re going to lay out some ground rules to them like don’t accept gifts, don’t accept rides,” she continued, also revealing that establishing code words is one way to help children avoid dangerous situations or identify disingenuous people.

“So, if someone comes to do the pickup, that is the code they would use,” she said, noting that the child should not go with someone who does not know the code.

“But we need to also teach [children] their parents’ [real] names and their contact numbers, and we need to practise this, especially with our younger ones. Identify meet-up spaces, so that if the child gets separated, they know where to go,” she further suggested.

In the release, the Deputy Registrar also encouraged parents to talk to children about what abuse looks like.

“I know it’s a very uncomfortable conversation that parents can have with children, especially when it comes to sexual abuse. So, private areas remain private; do not touch my body. This body belongs to me; no means no, and teach the child how to say no strongly, even if it comes off as being rude. Once the child is placed in an uncomfortable position, we need to teach the children to say no,” Bhagwandat Vassell stressed.

She also used the opportunity to encourage parents not to allow children to go to places where they are not sure they are going to be safe.

“So, if the child is going to have a sleepover at her friend’s house, ensure that you at least know who the friends are. Many times, when children go missing and we ask for information such as who are their friends? Where do they live? What is the name of their parents? The parents or guardians are unable to say who these friends are and where they frequent. Those are some of the conversations that we need to have with the children, especially the older ones,” she pointed out.

Bhagwandat Vassell also stressed the importance of teaching children emergency numbers such as the police, fire, hospital, and the number to report child abuse.

Parents are also being urged to keep dangerous items out of the reach of children.

“During the summer period, we see this as well, where, because the medications and the dangerous chemicals are [within reach] the child will ingest these things. So, ensure that these are put away, especially from our little ones,” Bhagwandat Vassell advises.

The three-digit hotline, 211, established to facilitate reports of abuse and neglect of children, can be dialled from a cellular or landline telephone, free of cost, from anywhere in Jamaica.