Safety – You Come First

Background:

A lot of the gang activity of today is illegal or criminal activity. From vandalism to murder, gangs commit crime. When a person joins a gang they can expect to get arrested, go to court, and spend time in jail.

Ensuring youth are safe is a top priority. Gangs are experts at making youth make difficult choices. Many youth are not able to make positive choices because they are ill equipped. It is essential that youth learn how to avoid dangerous situations and make positive decisions. The following lesson was created by the Ohio Criminal Gang Prevention Curriculum, Marc Dann Attorney General and adapted to suit the needs of grade four students in Saskatchewan.

Teaching Notes:

• Read this or another scenario aloud to your students.
  • Michael and his friend Pascal play on a school intramural team. They are walking home after a game and they see a really cool sports car following them. There are stores and houses on the street and Pascal’s house is just around the corner.
  • Michael and Pascal know they aren’t supposed to talk to strangers or get in a stranger’s car.
• Ask the students the following questions: Is this a dangerous situation? Why? What should they do? Where should they go? Whom should they tell? Whom should the grown-ups call?
• Tell the class there is a difference between telling and tattling.
  • Tattling is letting a grown up know about a situation that you can handle on your own that will not put your safety at risk but will get another person in trouble. Example, letting a grown up know that Chris won’t get off the computer and you want to use it is tattling. You are capable of resolving this problem using your problem solving skills.
  • Telling is letting a grown up know about a situation that you cannot handle on your own and you need help to resolve. Example, letting a grown up know that Chris got into a car with a bunch of older kids that were drinking is telling and is the right thing to do. Chris’s safety is in danger and you need an adult to help you resolve the problem.
• On an overhead, have the class write out the following Rules for Safety. As a follow up exercise have each students take their list home discuss it with their parent/guardian and add any rules they may think of. You may want to send a slip home for the parent/guardian to sign.
  • Before I go anywhere, I always check with my parents/guardian. I tell them where I am going, how I will get there, who will be going with me, and when I will be back.
  • I check first for permission from my parents/guardian before getting into cars or leaving with anyone, even someone I know. I check first before changing plans or accepting money, gifts, or drugs without my parents/guardians knowledge.
  • It is safer for me to be with other people when going places or playing outside. I always us the buddy system. o I will not do favours for people who want me to do something I am not comfortable doing.
  • I say No if someone tries to touch me in ways that make me feel frightened, uncomfortable, or confused. Then I go and tell a grown-up I trust what happened.
  • I know it is Not my fault if someone touches me in a way that is not OK. I don’t have to keep secrets about those touches.
  • I trust my feelings and talk to grownups about problems that are too big for me to handle on my own. Many people care about me and will listen and believe me. I am not alone.
  • It is never too late to ask for help. I can keep asking until I get the help I need. o I am a special person, and I deserve to feel safe.
• Hand out a Safety Tips Card/Pamphlet. You may want to contact your local police to see if they have any promotional items or create the card yourself. Include the following:
  • Check first for permission
  • Use the buddy system
  • Say no, then go and tell
  • Listen to my feelings and talk with grown-ups I trust
  • Stay away from dangerous situations
• Discuss with the class that gangs will always try to get them to do things that will make them feel unsafe. They will need to take the rules for safety and apply them to their lives.
• Have students write a journal that talks about how they can apply the rules/tips they have learned to their lives. You may want to encourage the class to use real life examples.