Personal Safety and Self Defense for children, teens and adults

What is People Safety?

In KIDPOWER, we use the term “People Safety” to mean what individuals can do to keep themselves and others emotionally and physically safe. In other words, people being safe with people.

At different times in our lives, we might find ourselves in different situations, need different kinds of help, and have different abilities. Through KIDPOWER’s work with over a million children, teenagers, and adults from around the world since 1989, our organization has found that what is important to an individual’s personal safety is the same at any age in any culture for people of any ability.

The KIDPOWER definition of People Safety includes:

• Believing that everyone has the right to be emotionally and physically safe – including  ourselves;

• Knowing what is safe and what is not safe;

• Communicating effectively about what we do want and what we do not want;

• Taking charge of safety in different situations;

• Being persistent in asking for help;

• Knowing how to protect our feelings and our bodies if others act in thoughtless, mean, scary, unsafe, or dangerous ways; and

• Staying in charge of what we say and do so that we make safe, respectful choices.  

The tools of People Safety taught by KIDPOWER include:

• Self-protection skills to prevent most trouble;

• Safety plans to prepare for the unexpected;

• Boundaries and advocacy to build better relationships; and

• Self-defense skills to stop most emergencies. 

People Safety concepts and skills can prepare individuals from all walks of life to prevent and stop most bullying, harassment, molestation, assault, exploitation, and abduction – and to speak up effectively for themselves and others.  KIDPOWER’s goal is to bring high quality People Safety education to as many people as possible, especially those who are most vulnerable, in order to achieve our vision of working together to create cultures of caring, respect, and safety for all.  

KIDPOWER provides a wealth of resources to promote and teach People Safety skills through our method of empowering effective hands-on practice. These include our:

• Free Monthly E-Newsletter.

• Cartoon-illustrated Safety Comics and Teaching Kits for children and teens.

• KIDPOWER Book for Caring Adults.

• Free Library of Articles.

• Services for Different Ages and Abilities.

• Training of Instructors.