Help With Teen Safety

As the parent of a teenager, it can be a challenge for you to allow her to be independent while keeping her safe. Giving your teen the freedom to spread her wings, make her own decisions and take responsibility for her actions is an important part of the transition into adulthood, but her safety will naturally be your paramount concern. The key is to equip your teen with the skills to deal with potentially dangerous situations without taking her freedom away from her.

Forward Planning

Teenagers long to spend time with their friends without supervision.
Teenagers long to spend time with their friends without supervision.
Whenever your teen is going out, make sure you talk to him beforehand about where he is going, who he will be with and what time he is planning to come home. If he plans his movements in advance, his safety is less likely to be compromised. Resist the temptation to tell him what to do; instead, suggest how he can take precautions to look after himself. For example, he can plan to meet friends at a specific place at a pre-arranged time.

Communication

A cell phone is the easiest way for your teen to keep in touch with you.
A cell phone is the easiest way for your teen to keep in touch with you.
Encourage your teenager to carry a cell phone in her inside pocket at all times. Check that all your contact numbers -- home, cell and work -- are stored in the phone's memory. If she has a prepaid cell phone, make sure it has plenty of credit before she goes out, so she can call you at any time. If she is a young teenager who is just starting to venture out alone with her friends, ask her to call or text you at a pre-arranged time to let you know she is safe.

Online Safety

Online safety is a huge issue for all teenagers.
Online safety is a huge issue for all teenagers.
The Internet plays a huge part in the social life of today's teenager. This is one area that many parents feel particularly anxious about, often because they are not familiar with the Internet themselves. Talk to your teen about online safety at the earliest possible opportunity and lay down some ground rules. The first rule is that your teen must not disclose any personal information -- full name, home address, cell phone number, Internet passwords and family details -- to anybody he meets online that he doesn't know in real life. If your teen wants to use chat rooms, make sure he uses a screen name different from his real name. Warn him of the dangers of meeting people he connects with online and ask him to tell you if anyone requests a face-to-face meeting.

Repercussions

Keep discussions about your teen's safety calm and positive.
Keep discussions about your teen's safety calm and positive.
After you have laid down some guidelines and rules to keep your teen safe, make her aware of what will happen if she doesn't stick to her side of the bargain. For example, if she stays out way past her curfew and doesn't call you to let you know she is okay, you may give her an earlier curfew for the next couple of weeks. Stress that you are not trying to rule her life or spoil her fun and that your main concern is her safety. Ask your teen to be honest and open with you about any difficult situations in which she finds herself. If she feels she can talk to you without being judged or criticized, regardless of any mistakes she may have made, she is more likely to confide in you. The more you know about your teen's habits and whereabouts, the greater chance you have of keeping her safe.

• 1d733025e2dd6a9698a8e325a8a4f01e19.jpg