Learn to be Safe with Emmy and Friends
| CfC FP Objective | Healthy Young Families Supporting families and parents |
| Delivered to | Children aged from 5 to 10 years |
| Delivered by | Teachers, coordinators, teacher aids, early years educators or other support staff |
| Delivery setting | School-based |
| Program developer | Act for Kids |
About the program
A protective behaviours program that aims to improve children’s interpersonal safety skills and empower children in unsafe situations.
Program structure
The program is delivered in classrooms over 5-10 1-hour sessions according to year level. The main topics covered are:
- What is safety?
- Feelings
- Warning signs
- Body autonomy and consent
- Private body parts
- Secrets
- Safety team-help seeking.
Evaluation and effectiveness
Two randomised control trials (RCT) have been used to evaluate the program (Dale et al., 2016; White et al., 2018). Both evaluations examined the effect of the program on children aged five and six years. There is no available evidence on the effectiveness of the program for older children.
Findings from the RCTs showed that program participants had improved their knowledge of protective behaviours and confidence to disclose more than children in the control group. In the 2016 study, parents observed children in the program engaging in more protective factors compared to children in the control group.
Dale, R., Shanley, D. C., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Lines, K., Pickering, K., & White, C. (2016). Empowering and protecting children by enhancing knowledge, skills, and well-being: A randomized trial of Learn to BE SAFE with Emmy™. Child Abuse & Neglect, 51, 368–378.
White, C., Shanley., D.C., Zimmer-Gembeck, M.J., Walsh, K., Hawkins, R., Lines, K., & Webb, H. (2018) Promoting young children's interpersonal safety knowledge, intentions, confidence, and protective behavior skills: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial. Child Abuse Neglect, 82, 144-155.
Contact
Phone: 0409 015 415
Email: [email protected]
Website: actforkids.com.au