Recently, Violence Free Waitakere (VFW), in West Auckland NZ, launched “‘Jade Speaks Up’, a new multimedia resource to help keep children safe from violence.” The media release said, “The resource aims to help children put safety strategies in place to support themselves, should they feel afraid in their lives whether from bullying, natural disasters, adult threats or witnessing grown-ups fighting.”
Natural disasters aside, because none of us can control those, the question has to be asked, “Are we at the all-time social low that kids, “aged 7-12 years,” now have to take responsibility for keeping themselves safe from violence and bullying?” That’s what adults were supposed to do when I was a little boy.
All kudos to Elaine Dyer and her team at VFW for a job well done. It’s a nice 8 minutes of animated characters on real-life backgrounds, catchy music, with guides and resources for teachers, parents, therapists and social workers to facilitate sessions with children on self-preservation.
But goodness, what a sad indictment it is on us, as adults. We must finally admit we can no longer trust ourselves and each other to fulfil one of the most important roles of adults — child protection.
The countless and growing statistics and news reports attest to it: we’ve got so bad at looking after kids, the least we can do is help them look after themselves. If this saves one kid from a hiding, it’s worth its weight in gold.
I know, I’m preaching to the converted if you’re reading this. But, like me, I hope you’re holding out for Elaine and VFW to release “Jade Doesn’t Have to Speak Up.”
Like you Philip, I would love to be able to make a DVD celebrating that Jade was safe and not needing to speak up! I would love to see every child in a home where they were safe, could trust the adults around them to love and care for them. Fortunately the vast majority of children have this. But for a growing number of children who are present when police are called to a family violence incidence, their needs are not always remembered. In such a family often the culture of secrets, hiding the grim reality of their lives can become the norm, and not spoken of. I have been surprised by the number of adults viewing the DVD who tell me, with tears in their eyes, that they wish they could have seen this when they were a child, and how different their lives might have been if they had. It is sadly not a new situation. So, my wish too is that we didn’t have to have such resource material created, but while there are children being traumatised by violence, I am glad that we have done the hard work to get the film and guides for its use made.
Like you Philip, I would love to be able to make a DVD celebrating that Jade was safe and not needing to speak up! I would love to see every child in a home where they were safe, could trust the adults around them to love and care for them. Fortunately the vast majority of children have this. But for a growing number of children who are present when police are called to a family violence incidence, their needs are not always remembered. In such a family often the culture of secrets, hiding the grim reality of their lives can become the norm, and not spoken of. I have been surprised by the number of adults viewing the DVD who tell me, with tears in their eyes, that they wish they could have seen this when they were a child, and how different their lives might have been if they had. It is sadly not a new situation. So, my wish too is that we didn’t have to have such resource material created, but while there are children being traumatised by violence, I am glad that we have done the hard work to get the film and guides for its use made.