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Children aged 6-11 tend to sped most of their time with parents, relatives or family friends. Therefore the main risks they face involve safety issues in the home, their immediate neighbourhood, at school or children’s activity or while out in public places with their family. Key Safety issues for 6-11 year olds
Accidents & Injury Children aged 6-11 are vulnerable to a variety of accidents and injuries as they grow older and increase their understanding of the world. The main risks to them from accidents and injury involve the home, in the garden or out in public places while they play. However, being as young as they are, young children are often accompanied by adults who supervise them and are there to help out if they need help. For more information about accidents see the ‘Accidents & Injuries’ pages on this website. These pages offer more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Bullying & Harassment Bullying and harassment begins to become a concern for parents of 6-11 year olds as they start their lives at school and begin to mix more with other children of their age and older. However, Primary schools are well developed in tackling bullying and harassment issues and will actively try to resolve any bullying which happens and discuss any problems with parents. To find out more about bullying see the ‘Bullying & Harassment’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Child Abuse & Child Protection While child abuse, such as neglect, emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse, can happen throughout a child’s life, the ages of 0-11 are when children are at their most vulnerable. Child abuse can be a very complicated subject and can affect a child in many different ways, affecting their development, emotions, outlook on life and relationships with other people. For out more information about child abuse see the ‘Child Abuse’ page and ‘Child Protection’ section of this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support Safeguarding Children Children of this age begin to attend various clubs and play activities designed for them. Some of these are organised through Primary Schools while others involve play groups and activities set up by parents or community volunteers. Every parent fears their child being mistreated by someone and so parents should always discuss child protection issues with the organiser of any activities their children attend. These involve discussing their child protection policy, training, first aid precautions, health and safety issues and the checks made on any workers or volunteers who have contact with their children. For more information about child protection issues, checks, policies and training see the pages contained under the ‘Child Protection & Social Services’ heading on this website. These pages offer more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Domestic Violence Evidence shows that children who live in a house where domestic abuse or violence takes place notice and know it goes on from an early age. Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse or violence can have a big affect on children. They can experience a range of emotions and fears which can affect their behaviour and self esteem. Domestic violence also has a link with child abuse and in many families where domestic violence happens, children are abused either emotionally, physically or even sexually abuse by the perpetrator. For more information about domestic abuse and violence see the pages in the ‘Domestic Abuse’ section of this website. These pages offer more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Hate Crimes Children as young as 6-11 can experience hate crimes directed against them or their family. These mainly involve racism and harassment against children and families from Black and Minority Ethnic groups (BME) and communities. Hate crimes experienced by children can also include ‘homophobic’ hate crimes against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) family members. For more information about hate crimes see the ‘Hate Crimes’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. Going missing Young children aged 6-11 sometimes get separated or get lost from their parents, carers or the adults supervising them. This usually happens in crowded public places such as shops, beach areas, parks etc. The vast majority of children are found and are only missing for very short periods of time, it is very rare for children to be abducted or never found. However, sometimes children under 11 years old may try to run away from home which can be a very worrying and traumatic experience for families. In most situations this can happen due to a breakdown in communication and trust with parents or family members, but in most cases children are found quickly and return home without any further problems. For more information about children getting lost see the ‘Children Missing’ page on this website. The page offers more information, advice and details of services which can provide help and support. |
