Safety Tips

• Be involved in everything your child does! Take time to get to know your children’s teachers, coaches, friends, and parents of friends.
• Remind your child to “check first” with a trusted adult before they go anywhere with anyone at any time.  Always know where your children are and make sure they check in with you regularly when they’re not home.
• Make sure your children know they have the right to say no to anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, even if it’s to a friend or someone they know. It’s more important to be safe than polite.
• Remind children that anytime an adult asks them to keep a secret, that is a sign that things are not safe. 
• Choose babysitters carefully. Obtain references, check their social media accounts, drop in unexpectedly, and ask children about their time with their babysitter.
• Teach your child to always wear a seat belt when in a car. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children, ensure your children are properly secured in a car seat or seat belt.
• Teach your children how to get help in public places. Identify safe places and trusted adults such as law enforcement, security guards, or store clerks.
• Your children should memorize your name, cell phone number and home address in the event of an emergency.
• Teach your children to make a scene by kicking or screaming if someone tries to grab them, and to try their hardest to escape until someone notices.
• Practice “what if” scenarios with your children to find out what they would do in different situations.

Statistics

• In 2018, 806 kids died in Arizona; 42% of these deaths could have been prevented ¹
  • 31% of these deaths occurred in children one year of age
• 59% of car seats are not installed correctly ²
• Every three weeks a child dies from a television or furniture tip-over ³
• Every hour, poison control centers receive a call about a child who has gotten into a laundry detergent packet ⁴
• Every 8 minutes, a child goes to the ER for medicine poisoning belonging to an adult ⁴

Resources 

Sources

1. Perfette, Jessica MPH et al. “Child Fatality Review - Twenty Fifth Annual Report.” AZ Department of Health Services. Accessed January 2020. azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/womens-childrens-health/reports-fact-sheets/child-fatality-review-annual-reports/cfr-annual-report-2018.pdf
2. "More than Half Car Seats are Not Installed Correctly.” Safe Kids Worldwide. Accessed April 2020. SafeKids.org/post/more-half-car-seats-are-not-installed-correctly
3. “TV and Furniture Tip-Overs.” Safe Kids Worldwide. Accessed April 2020. SafeKids.org/tv
4. “Keeping Families Safe Around Medicine.” Safe Kids Worldwide. Accessed December 2020. Poison.org/~/media/files/pdf-for-article-dowloads-and-refs/safekids-medicine-safety-2014.pdf?la=en