What is Protective behaviours? School Safety Anti-Victim Program
Safety of students is a top priority for every school.
With growing concerns over issues like bullying, harassment, and physical threats, it’s important to have comprehensive school protection strategies in place.
At Wihkum, we are dedicated to school safety through innovative technology – an emergency responder app. We believe that one of the most effective ways to empower students and educators is by introducing ‘Protective Behaviours’.
So, let’s explore what protective behaviours programs mean and how they help enhance child protection and well-being in schools,
What Are Protective Behaviours?
Every child deserves to feel safe all the time.
But sadly, many children in Australia face abuse each year. Statistics show that about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys experience some kind of unwanted sexual activity before they turn 18 (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1993).
“Protective Behaviours (PBs) is a personal safety program designed to teach people, especially children, how to identify unsafe situations and take the right actions to protect themselves.”
This program is simple yet powerful. It encourages children to trust their instincts and speak up when something feels wrong. This way children learn valuable skills that they can use throughout their lives. Additionally, PBs help them handle potentially harmful situations and enhance their ability to stay safe.
The Core Concepts of Protective Behaviours | 2 Themes, 7 Strategies
Protective behaviours are all about helping children understand their personal boundaries, build a network of support, and gain the confidence to speak up when something feels off.
Let’s have a look at the main themes behind this program:
Theme #1: Everyone has the right to feel safe at all times.
The first theme emphasises that everyone deserves to feel safe everywhere. Not just physically but also emotionally and mentally. When children understand this important principle, they are more likely to notice when something isn’t right and know how to protect themselves.
This theme revolves around the following concepts:
- Recognising ‘Early Warning Signs’
Children learn to pay attention to their bodies and recognise early warning signs that something can be wrong. These signs are physical feelings that happen when they’re in an uncomfortable or unsafe situation.
Each person has different early warning signs, but common ones include:
- Butterflies in the stomach
- Racing heart
- Sweaty palms
- Feeling nauseous or shaky
- Tight shoulders
- Red cheeks
- Goosebumps
By identifying these signals early on, children can take action before a situation escalates. Like seeking help or moving away.
What Can You Do?
Dear teachers and parents! Talk to your child about how their body feels when they’re scared or worried.
- Ask them to describe their own early warning signs.
- Share your experiences to help them relate.
- Be observant during situations that might make them nervous, such as starting a new class or going somewhere unfamiliar.
- Encourage them to express their feelings without judgment and practice breathing slowly to stay calm.
- Body Awareness and Ownership
It’s important for children to understand that they are in charge of their own bodies.
Teach them the names and functions of all body parts. Including private ones. Using correct anatomical terms promotes a positive body image and makes it easier for children to communicate if something happens.
- Personal Boundaries | Safe and Unsafe Touch
Understanding personal boundaries is a key skill in protective behaviours. If anyone says anything or touches their body in a way that makes them uncomfortable. They should know it’s okay to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’, move away, and talk to someone they trust.
This includes not just physical boundaries but emotional ones too.
Kids are encouraged to recognise when someone is trying to manipulate or pressure them and to stand up for themselves.
Theme #2: We can talk with someone about anything, no matter how big or small the problem is.
The second theme highlights the importance of open communication and emotional flexibility. It encourages children that they can talk about any problem, no matter how small. Having someone to confide in can prevent minor issues from becoming major ones.
This theme focuses on the following concepts:
- Breaking the Silence
One of the biggest obstacles to personal safety is the fear of speaking up.
Children often hesitate to share their problems because they worry about being judged or dismissed. This theme encourages kids to seek help and reinforces that no issue is too minor to discuss. Whether it’s feeling uncomfortable, experiencing bullying, or being unsure about personal boundaries.
- Recognising Safe and Unsafe Secrets
Help your child understand the difference between safe and unsafe secrets. Such as:
- Safe secrets – are usually happy surprises that will be revealed later, like planning a birthday party.
- Unsafe secrets – involve things that make someone feel scared or uncomfortable. Like bullying or harmful behaviour. Unsafe secrets often come with a warning not to tell anyone. They can last for a long time, which makes them very serious.
- Building Safety Networks
The most dynamic part of the PBs is creating a safety network.
This network involves people the child can turn to when they feel unsafe. This group can include parents, teachers, or any trusted adult in their lives.
Children should think about who they can reach out to in different situations. Like at home, school, or during activities. Practising how to ask for help makes them feel more secure and confident in seeking assistance when they need it.
Explore more about: 10 Effective School Safety Measures | Protection of Students
The 7 Strategies of Protective Behaviours
These seven strategies further strengthen those two core themes of protective behaviours. Each strategy empowers students to recognise, address, and resolve unsafe situations effectively.
Let’s explore these seven strategies and how they promote student safety in school:
Strategy # 1: Taking Action to Feel Safe
Every student deserves to feel safe. When something feels off, the first step is to figure out how to restore that safety.
Trust your instincts. Listen to those warning signs. You might need to talk to a trusted adult, move to a safer place, or use calming techniques to regain control.
Strategy #2: One-Step-Removed Approaches
Sometimes it’s easier to tackle problems indirectly.
Instead of discussing personal issues. Try talking about a similar situation involving ‘someone else’. This approach allows children to explore sensitive topics without feeling exposed. This is a great option for classroom discussions.
Strategy #3: Reviewing Personal Networks
It’s important to have a solid support network of trusted people. Regularly check in on your personal network:
- Are they reliable?
- Can you turn to them when you feel unsafe?
Knowing who’s there to help can make a big difference when you need support.
Strategy #4: Using Persistence
Don’t give up when seeking safety.
If your first attempt doesn’t work, keep trying. Whether it’s finding new solutions or asking for help again. Remember that everyone has the right to feel safe. Sometimes it takes a few tries to achieve that.
Strategy #5: Risking on Purpose
Life involves taking risks, and that can be a good thing. ‘Risking on purpose’ means stepping out of your comfort zone in a thoughtful way.
By knowing the difference between safe and unsafe risks, students can confidently try new things while staying aware of potential dangers.
Strategy #6: Protectively Interrupting Unsafe Situations
This strategy empowers students to step in when they see something unsafe.
Recognise the early signs of danger and take action. Whether it’s leaving a situation or helping someone else. Protectively interrupting can prevent harm and maintain safety in group settings.
Strategy #7: The Language of Safety
The seventh and final strategy acts as the ‘glue’ that holds the entire protective behaviours process together.
This strategy focuses on using clear, effective communication to express concerns and maintain a safe environment. The language of safety has several key components:
- Quality: The words we use should promote understanding, respect, and safety.
- Shared Meaning: Ensuring that both parties in a conversation understand each other fully, with no misunderstandings.
- Ownership: Taking responsibility for the language we use, ensuring it reflects our true feelings and intentions.
- Clarity: Being precise and straightforward in verbal and non-verbal communication to avoid confusion.
Protective Behaviours and Child Protection in Schools
In Perth and across Australia, many schools are adopting protective behaviours Perth programs to ensure the safety of their students.
They have integrated these PBs as part of their broader child protection strategies, aligning with the Western Australian Department of Education’s guidelines for student safety. PBs help schools create a structured approach to teaching personal safety, which can address issues such as:
- Harassment and Abuse: Empowering students to speak out against bullying, intimidation, or verbal insults.
- Violence or Aggression: Teaching strategies for de-escalation and self-protection.
- Mental Health: Encouraging students to reach out for support when dealing with anxiety, depression, or burnout.
When combined with effective safety measures andclear emergency procedures in school, these programs provide a comprehensive safety net for students and staff.
Integrating PBs with Wihkum’s School Safety Solutions
At Wihkum, our emergency response app is designed to complement protective behaviours. It offers a discreet alert for ‘help’ to ensure that help is always within reach. With just a simple push of a button. The app alerts designated responders. Provides real-time locations, and enables rapid communication.
Whether a student needs help during an armed intruder attack, harassment, bullying, any medical emergency, or other crisis situation. Our app ensures that schools have the tools to act quickly and keep everyone safe.
By using Wihkum, schools can enhance their protective behaviour programs with real-time communication and precise location tracking. Our app supports a range of school emergencies, providing staff with a multi-channel alert system that ensures the right people are notified as soon as possible.
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