GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - As the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign is currently in full swing, Graaff-Reinet SAPS has issued the following relevant safety tips this week.
There are several scenarios given where people must take sensible safety precautions against rape and sexual abuse. Although the focus of the campaign is on abuse against women and children, men can also become victims, so the tips given are relevant to all for general safety.
Out on the streets, people should walk in well-lit busy areas and in groups if possible, as walking alone will make a person look vulnerable. Pedestrians are advised to walk facing oncoming traffic (although this is obviously not practical in the main shopping areas) and, to avoid being jostled by people in shop doorways, walk near the curb side.
There are two obvious reasons for not walking and talking on a cell phone at the same time - this distracts a person from what is going on around them, as well as the risk of theft.
Shortcuts through deserted or bushy areas, such as parks and empty areas, should be avoided. Women and children, in particular, are advised to keep a whistle on them, to be able to alert others if they need help. For adults, a pepper spray can be used to temporarily incapacitate an attacker so that a potential victim can run to safety.
Hitch-hiking is not advised, nor accepting lifts from strangers.
Motorists are advised to always make sure that all doors are locked and windows are closed when they get into a vehicle, to be alert at all times and particularly at stop streets, and not to pick up hitchhikers or offer lifts to anyone they do not know. Sadly, these days it is also not safe to stop for stranded vehicles or people, as although in most cases there is a genuine emergency, more cases are being reported nationally of criminals preying on people’s natural helpfulness. It is better to rather call the police and report that there is a person in trouble.
In the home, doors should be locked and windows closed if possible, and householders are advised to invest in the best locks and security that they can afford. It is very easy to become complacent living in a small town, but sadly there are opportunistic criminals everywhere, and it is better to be safe than sorry.
Strangers should not be allowed into the home, even if they are delivering something or providing a service, without proper identification. Children and domestic workers should also be warned about this, and not to tell anyone if they are alone in the house. Knowing one’s neighbours and being part of a neighbourhood watch or crime prevention group is also important. Most areas now have local WhatsApp and facebook groups for this, which play an important role in general crime prevention and awareness. The phone number for the local police station (049 807 1116 in Graaff-Reinet, 049 846 0015 in Aberdeen) should also be readily available.
When out on a date or with a group of friends, SAPS advise “Do not allow anyone to touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, be firm and clear and say NO”. Women, in particular, are cautioned against leaving a party or social event with someone they have just met. Anyone who suspects they are being followed should get to the nearest public place as soon as possible.
There is some specific advice for parents to instill in their children.
From a young age, children should be taught about “stranger danger”: never to talk to a stranger, or accept sweets or an offer of a lift. They should always walk to and from school in groups – there is definitely safety in numbers. Children and teenagers will need to be reminded to keep doors locked and windows closed if they are at home alone.
It is very important that young children know their street address and parents’ contact phone numbers in case they become victims and their parents need to be traced. The SAPS emergency number 10111 should also be taught to children, and, if they have a cell phone, it should be stored therein an easily-remembered format.
Sometimes, tragically, it is a family member and not a stranger who inflicts sexual abuse or even rape on a child, and teachers and other responsible adults in regular contact with children should be alert for any signs of distress or changed behaviour in a child.
The advice concluded with the strong statement that every person has the right to say no. “No-one has the right to force you into sexual activity, no matter what your relationship with this person is, and no-one can force you to have sex, or touch you in a sexual way without your consent, or force you to perform sexual activity you find unpleasant or humiliating”.
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