Today we’re going to talk about keeping ourselves safe around strangers.
What does the word ‘stranger’ mean?
Spot the Stranger:
Spot the strangers in the scene?
Why are they strangers? Why not?
- A stranger is anyone you don’t know.
- A stranger can be a man or a woman, an adult, a teenager or a child.
- Most strangers are nice people, but we cannot tell just by looking at someone if they are a nice person or if we can trust them.
Strangers online
Where else could we meet a stranger? We can meet strangers online.
How do you meet strangers online (playing games is probably the most common way for pupils of this age).
Do you remember the Cyberbullying video from the lessons on bullying and how it’s so easy to pretend to be someone else when you’re online.
Remember, a stranger is anyone you do not know – even if they tell you they know you, even if they know your name.
Safety Rules
There are rules and choices that can help you be safe. Can you remember the rules for staying safe around strangers?
- Never go anywhere with a stranger
- Never take anything from a stranger (unless you have permission from the adult in charge)
Discussion Points:
- Was the man a bad person? It is important to realise that he may not have been a bad person, but that he was a stranger to Ciara.
- Do you think Ciara made the correct choice? Why?
- Was she right to go into the shop even though she did not know anyone there?
- Can you suggest anything else Ciara could have done?
Most people, even though they may be strangers, are good and helpful.
Sometimes we need to get help from strangers and we need to be able to identify those strangers that we could go to if we feel unsafe.
Dealing with Strangers
Activity 1 – Strangers who could help: “If you were at a match or a concert and got lost and separated from your friends, who could you go to for help?”
Children will identify a variety of people, for example, Gardai, security persons, shop assistants or stewards. All these are strangers, but what have they in common? (Uniform, name tag, etc.)
Where would be a safe place to go to if they were lost or felt frightened or threatened.
Activity 2 – WS 14: Strangers – What would you do?
Each group must think about the situation and discuss what they could do to keep themselves safe. Pupils then role-play their response to the scenario
Conclusion
Remember the safety rules about strangers:
- Never go anywhere with someone you don’t know.
- Never take anything from someone you don’t know.
When you’re online remember: - Do not put up personal information, for example, full name, address or other personal details, online
- Remember that any photos or images you put online can never be fully removed
- Do not believe everyone you meet online is who they say they are
- Always tell a trusted adult if you are worried about something you see online
- Never reply to upsetting or frightening messages – save them, show them to an adult and get them to report the matter
- If you receive nasty messages or photos/pictures either by text or online, avoid looking at them over and over again as this can be very upsetting.
Block the sender so they cannot have access to your photos or personal information and tell a trusted adult
