What is People Safety?

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People often ask, “What exactly do you teach in Kidpower? Anti-bullying? Stranger Danger? Some kind of martial art?”

We call what we teach “People Safety”, which means people being safe with people. People Safety skills prepare us to take charge of the emotional and physical safety and well-being of ourselves and others. Just as a greater level of physical health can protect you from all kinds of diseases, so can strong People Safety” knowledge protect you from most bullying, sexual abuse, and other violence. Having both excellent physical health and strong People Safety skills can make our lives much more enjoyable.

Fire Safety does not just mean “burning prevention” – Fire Safety means that you can use fire for heat, cooking, and fun. Water Safety doesn’t just mean ‘drowning prevention” – it means being able to swim and enjoy the water. And “People Safety” does not just mean avoiding danger with people – it means having joyful relationships and interactions with oneself and others.

At different times in our lives, we might find ourselves in different situations, need different kinds of help, and be able to do different kinds of things. In Kidpower, individuals of all ages, abilities, cultures, and walks of life have found that People Safety skills and concepts prepare them to:

• Develop healthy relationships
• Advocate effectively for the well-being of themselves and others
• Act as powerful respectful leaders
• Protect themselves from most bullying, harassment, molestation, assault, exploitation, abduction, and other kinds of violence

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
• 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
• Self-defense skills to stop most emergencies

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:

• Extensive free on-line Library
• Cartoon-illustrated Safety Comics for younger and older children
• The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People
• Services for different ages and abilities
• Training of Instructors