Safe Parenting Handbook (PDF 1.07 Mb) - Department of Health ...

WARNING SIGNSMake time for your child to talk to you about their worriesYou know how important a good education is - let your childknow thisOnly keep your child off school if they are too ill to attend- not for days out or shopping tripsBe honest about things that might be happening in the familyLook for early signs that your child might not be happy and talk totheir school about theseHelp is available - please don’t be too embarrassed or afraid to ask“I was shocked whenshe ran away although, lookingback, she was more of a lonerthan her brother. I now knowthat she had been missing”school quite a bit.from home and schoolChildren from all sorts of backgrounds runaway from home for a variety of reasons. Manyof us will remember planning to run away whenwe were younger because we felt unable tocope with our problems, that nobody caredabout us or because we had been treatedunfairly. Usually, if a child does go missingfrom home, it will be for a very short period -usually until the child thinks that the parentshave noticed. Often, they will turn up at thehome of a friend or relative.and they can be prosecuted if their child doesnot attend school regularly. Children who missschool are much more likely to have problemswith their learning and getting the job orcollege place that they would like. They willoften find it harder to make and keep friendsand they are at much greater risk of getting intotrouble in and out of school. If they areskipping school or lessons, they are morelikely to come across adults or other youngpeople who might want to cause them harm.There may be nonebut does your childseem to beunhappy?Are you sure thatthey are notskipping school?Has anythinghappened in thefamily that youhaven’t talked toyour child about?ACTIONIf you think yourchild might beskipping school,talk to the schoolor an EducationWelfare Officer.Contact the policeif your child goesmissing.WHAT TO SAYMake sure that yourchild knows howimportant they areto you. When youhave to tell yourchild off, tell themthat it’s theirbehaviour that’s theproblem - not them.If something hasgone wrong in thefamily, don’t letyour child think thatit’s their fault.PREVENTIONBe alert to anyunexplainedchanges in yourchild’s behaviour.Spend time withthem and beinterested in theirlives and worries.Do you know whoyour child’s friendsare? Be very carefulabout their accessto the Internet and‘chat rooms’.CONTACTS• PSNI028 9065 0222• Your child’sschool• Missing PersonsHelpline (24hrs)0500 700 700• Message Home(for young peopleto get a messageto their parents)0800 700 740When children run away, they are not beingnaughty - they are trying to tell us that they areunhappy or trying to find out just how much wedo care about them.However, if a child goes missing from homerepeatedly, receives unexplained gifts, andpossibly has an older ‘friend’, there is apossibility they could be being sexuallyexploited (see page 36).The law says that parents must ensure that theirchildren receive suitable, full time educationWhen children miss school without their parents’knowing, this is called truancy. Children whotruant regularly often do this because they areworried about something. There might besomething happening on the way to or fromschool that is causing them concern. They mightbe being bullied. They might be finding somelessons or subjects too hard (or too easy) or theymight be having problems in completing theirhomework. Sometimes, children will be reluctantto leave home because they are worried that theirparent might come to some harm whilst they areat school.3233