Activity 15: Safe or Not Safe?

Purpose

  • To tell participants about the kinds of people they can talk to in their communities and the possible people who may not be safe to talk to  

  • To have participants practice deciding who is a safe person versus who is not a safe person to be talking to.

Things to Observe

  • Participants are showing an understanding and demonstrating their knowledge of who can be a safe person and who can be considered an unsafe person.  

Materials

  • Pictures of safe and unsafe people located in the “Be Aware” Safety Cards.

  • “Safe” and “Unsafe” signboards with a divider between the two (these will have to be made)  

  • Cue cards (used to make extra “safe” and “unsafe” people cards)  

  • Velcro, magnets, or tape to stick the pictures of the “safe” and “unsafe” people onto the signboard  

Safety Considerations

  • None  

Guidelines

  • “Be Aware” Safety Cards have some pictures for the participants to use in this activity but if possible additional cards should be created (prior to the session) with familiar people such as a school teacher, or a recreation leader.  

  • Let participants know that unsafe people can be unfamiliar people who are walking in the neighbourhood, a person who offers them candy, a person who needs help finding their dog, a bully demonstrating mild-bullying behaviours, or a person who offers to give the child a drive to where they are going.  

  • All participants should be working together in a large crew for this activity.  

  • You will flip the cards one at a time and the participants will decide as a crew whether the picture is a safe person who they can talk to, or if it is an unsafe person who they should not talk to.  

  • The crew will discuss why they should place each picture in the spot they chose  

  • You will attach the cards to the “Safe” and “Un- safe” signboard using velcro, magnets, or tape.  

Instructional Considerations  

  • Ask questions and be upfront with participants so that they understand what kind of people are safe and unsafe people.  

  • Insist that participants raise their hands when they would like to answer a question or to share an idea with the crew.  

  • Encourage discussion.  

  • Participants should know not to be confrontational or fight back when they encounter a bully.

  • Let the participants know that they should report the problem to a teacher or another safe person.  

Debrief  

At the end of the activity, debrief with the participants. Ask them to respond to these questions:  

  • How can you tell if a person is safe or unsafe?  

  • What are some things you can do if you or someone you know is being bullied?