“We all have the right to feel safe all the time.”

Our bodies tell us when we are feeling safe. Some of these feelings can include feeling warm, relaxed and cosy.

We can ask for help if we are feeling unsafe. We will know when our problem has been solved when we feel safe again.

Feeling safe

Sometimes it’s fun to feel a little scared. When we are feeling scared we may get goosebumps, our stomach might churn or our heart may beat faster. Watching a scary film or going on a roller coaster can be scary for example. It’s an adventure if we choose to do it, have some control, we can stop it when we want to or we know when it’s going to end.

Our bodies tell us when we are not feeling safe. It could well be unsafe if it is not our choice, we are not in control and we do not have a time limit. This may be called a personal emergency.

Thinking freely

We all have choices to make every day, some
of which are simple and easy to make.

Others can be harder and we may struggle to find the right answer. The most important thing to remember when facing a more difficult decision is that you must trust your own thoughts and feelings.

Your body will tell you when you should not be doing something, and will react to situations in which you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

If you allow your friends, or others, to pressure you into ignoring these feelings you could regret it for a very long time. It is sometimes hard to stand up to pressure from others, but it is something that you must sometimes do.

Part of growing up is thinking things through and considering the consequences of our actions. If you think about what could happen if things went wrong and someone could get hurt, then you know the right choice to make. Walking away from a dangerous or criminal situation could save your life or the life of someone else.

“There is nothing so awful or so small that we can’t talk about it with someone”

We can ask for help if we are feeling unsafe. We will know when our problem has been solved when we feel safe again.

When we feel really scared or uncomfortable, it may be OK to break the rules. We might interrupt a conversation, say ‘no’, break a secret, tell tales, shout, scream or get help from someone we don’t know.


For more info visit . . .

Need2know
Do the Life Check to check out your life and see how you’re getting on. Find out what help you can get, if you want to. This is not a test! There are no right or wrong answers. And no one will see what you’ve written. So be honest with yourself and start getting the real picture.

ruthinking
Lots of information to get you thinking about the different types of relationships there are and to help you decide what YOU want. Hints on how to say NO and resist pressure, there's even a message board.

Devon & Cornwall Constabulary Probe site
Advice and information on Protective Behaviours as used by the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary.