During this term, Year 8 classes will be involved in the Standing Up for Myself programme which builds on and reinforces skills and knowledge, children have gained from the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme in Years 0 - 6. The purpose of the programme is to:

• teach students a range of safe practices that they can use when interacting with other people;

• encourage students who have been, or are being abused, to seek help;

• contribute to an overall community prevention programme, by making parents and teachers more aware of their responsibilities to help children avoid abuse.

The following are the objectives from the modules:

Module 1- Students can recognise potential danger and describe strategies to keep them safe.
Module 2 - Students demonstrate a responsible attitude towards their own safety and the safety of people they may be with.
Module 3 - Students can identify different kinds of abuse, know anybody can be a victim and that abusers can be peers, authority figures or people they know and love. Students know abuse must be stopped.
Module 4 - Students can describe stress in the family and suggest ways of handling this. Students can distinguish between appropriate family discipline and abuse. Students can explain that they have the right to proper care and protection and should be safe within their family.
Module 5 - Students can explain why it is important to report abuse, list possible people to report to and ways this can be done.
Module 6 - Students can explain what happens when abuse is reported and share their knowledge on abuse.

An awareness of media influences and resisting peer pressure will also be covered.
Our Police Youth Aid officer will visit each class in Weeks 9 or 10 to reinforce aspects of the unit, discuss any matters that may have arisen and give a police perspective on the programme.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Salote Rouvi