The Stay Safe Programme is a personal safety skills programme for primary schools - both mainstream and special. Its overall objective is to prevent child abuse, bullying and other forms of victimisation.

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The programme develops children's ability to recognise, resist and report risk situations or abusive encounters by teaching children...

• To identify for themselves unsafe or upsetting situations

• Simple rules to help them avoid abuse

• To respect and value the rights of others

• The language and skills they require to seek help

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The programme also informs parents and teachers about preventing bullying and child abuse, whilst seeking to create a greater public awareness about the problems children can and do experience.

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There are five modules discussed in the Stay Safe Programme:

• Feeling Safe & Unsafe

• Friendship & Bullying

• Touches

• Secrets & Telling

• Strangers

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The content of each module is outlined here http://www.staysafe.ie/parent_ss_less.htm and there are suggestions that may help parents discuss the topic with their children.

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Each module is dealt with in a way that emphasises positive experiences while acknowledging that there are times when children may feel unsafe, threatened or frightened. Through classroom discussion, role-play and repetition, children learn simple safety strategies for dealing with problems. Children learn that they should always tell an adult who can help. The overall message is that children will learn to: Say 'No', get away and tell.

 

​​The booklet for parents 'Stay Safe, A Parent's Guide' may be  downloaded here.