Today we will be discussing child safety. This means that a child is protected from prowling strangers and dangerous situations. Some dangers include kidnapping, rape, injury, murder, and incest. Now, we might think that we are safe from all of these for one reason or another. However, without God and our God-given common sense, we can be seriously at risk.
Unfortunately, due to the economic fallout from Covid-19 and other challenges, crime has increased island-wide. Young people and children are mostly at risk. In the Christmas season, many people are being mugged or kidnapped in taxis. In volatile communities where more shooting and robberies are common, children can be hit by stray bullets. Unfortunately, whatever happens to a parent affects the children who may be assaulted because of things the parent did!
There are many ways to stay safe. I will share some with you from my perspective.
Prayers
The number one way to stay safe is through prayer, of course. I have heard my parents pray using this Bible verse in 2nd Thessalonians 3:2, “And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.” Therefore, we should look to the LORD and pray, “Oh, Lord, please deliver us from unreasonable and wicked men.” May these words become part of your prayer vocabulary! Learn to trust God, for He will indeed deliver us!
Do not stray
Another way is not straying from parents, teachers, or trusted adults and guardians when you’re out in public. Although it may be hard, especially in flashy and exciting malls or toy shops, we must be alert! Many wicked and unreasonable people are out there, and they are willing to take advantage of innocent children.
Keep valuables secured
Another way to stay safe is never to carry your tablet or phone on the road. That is, unless they are absolutely necessary for what you are doing. We must also avoid taking our parents’ phones and wearing expensive jewelry in public. I am saying all of this because thieves will snatch a phone or chain right out of our hand or from around our necks, and run! And even if you are faster than Usain Bolt, it is not advised that you chase after them. So, valuable items must be secured.
Do not use public restrooms alone
Be vigilant when using public restroom facilities. Look out for a sick (I mean a pedophile) man or woman following us in to take advantage of us. If you have to use a public restroom, ensure that your parents or a trusted adult accompanies you.
NEVER share personal information
We must also be careful about who gets our personal information and whom we tell about our parents’ financial situation and challenges. There are many crazy and wicked people out there who would want to abuse children and even kill them. Telling people we are from a wealthy family, for example, may get us kidnapped (thank God, this rarely happens, but you never know when); or from a financially challenged family (I won’t say poor because you can be rich in many ways other than monetarily), and we get targeted by traffickers who lure us with material things. We must be alert and avoid getting into dangerous situations.
Be aware of your environment
If we live in a community where shootings and gangs operate, we must be watchful when venturing outdoor. And remember, safe community or not, always pray over your going out and your return home. Pray because anything can happen, a shooting can occur at any time, so pray that a stray bullet does not hit you or a family member. Speaking of bullets, please do not touch or allow your friends to touch any firearm. The lives of too many children are being cut short by this reckless practise. In October 2021, some fifth-form boys were studying at a house inside a gated-community in Portmore. Somehow, a parent’s gun got into the mix of things. The story did not end well – the gun went off, and one of them was killed. This was a very unfortunate incident.
Be careful in public transportation
If you or your parents use public transport, do not step into ‘robot’ taxis, meaning avoid “white plate taxis”. They are not registered with the authorities, and sometimes this can make a huge difference in your safety. So, if you take public transportation, whenever you go out, remind your dad and mom to board only “red plate” taxis. Please remember that prayer and safety are key, especially at this time.
Riddle time – what is another name for fake taxi in Jamaica? Hope you find the answer!
Ifeoluwa Alonge is 13 years old and has been part of the Freedom Come Rain newspaper family since he was age 11, which is when this article was written.
