• Do not play in deserted areas

• Shout out and run if uncomfortable in someone's company

• Run to a place where there are many people

Calcutta: Preschools in the city are teaching children to be responsible for their own safety.

In several schools, children are made to practise how to shout out loud if they are uncomfortable with a touch.

Teachers explain to children the importance of a safe circle of people around them and tell them to share everything with their parents or others in the safe circle.

Most preschools feel it is important to communicate these messages regularly.

"The idea is to empower children and make them understand that they are also responsible for their own safety. We make them practise how to shout out loudly, and not just say a soft no, before running to a place with people around," said Chandrika Ramakrishnan, principal, Mongrace Montessori House, New Town.

Early Childhood Association, a forum of preschools, recently conducted a series of workshops for heads and teachers of member preschools. The Short Street and New Town branches of Mongrace, all branches of Bubble Blue Montessori, I Play I Learn and Verbena Play School were some of the schools that attended the workshop.

The average age group of children in these schools is 1.5 years to 5.5 years. Some of them offer day-care facilities for older children up to age 8.

"We have to keep telling our children about safety issues or else they tend to forget. They are too young for workshops. Sessions for small groups are a more effective way to teach them," said Parmindar Kaur, the founder and principal of Verbena Play School in Khardah.

Teachers at Verbena use examples of birds and animals and how they react when a stranger touches them vis-a-vis someone known to them to teach groups of four to five kids about good touch and bad touch.

"The more we get into it we realise how commonly children are abused and we need to make children aware of it. Maybe it was also happening in the past but children were not aware of it. We have to teach them to raise their voice and prepare them to know how to deal with it," said Suman Sood, the territory head of Early Childhood Association, Calcutta chapter, and director of Mongrace.

TIPS FOR TODDLERS

• Empower children and make them understand that they are responsible for their safety
• Teach children to shout and say no 
• Make children aware of a safe circle of people around them
• Use proper words such as genitals and breasts when referring to body parts