Parents, educators, and other caring adults can take leadership to protect and empower young people through these ten actions to protect and empower young people and to support cultures of safety, respect, and inclusion:
- Stay connected by accepting each child as a unique individual, knowing what is happening with this child, and understanding how she or he is feeling.
- Show children and teens that they are valuable, powerful, and capable by giving them experiences to develop these beliefs.
- Know what is and is not safe emotionally and physically.
- Put Safety First in making decisions about where kids go, who is with them, and what they are doing.
- Develop a community of positive adult and peer relationships for kids in their families, schools, youth groups, and neighborhoods
- Notice and address problems that might undermine a young person’s well-being and persist even in the face of obstacles until acceptable solutions are found.
- Intervene powerfully, respectfully, and immediately to stop unsafe or disrespectful behavior.
- Coach kids to act safely and respectfully towards themselves and others in daily life.
- Set a good example by making positive choices in our own lives.
- Get help when young people or their adults are stuck in destructive behavior or have had traumatic experiences that undermine their joy in life.
Kidpower resources and workshops, offered online as well as in-person when it is safe to do so, are always available to help you take these actions.
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For more about adult leadership to protect and empower young people, see Kidpower article Worthy of Trust: What Organizations Need to Do to Keep Kids Safe
