Child and Teen Safety

Safe Biking Tips

• Bike on right hand side of the road with the flow of traffic. If you feel unsafe on the road, get off and walk your bike on the sidewalks.
• Wear a bicycle helmet that fits to reduce the risk of injury.
• Keep your bicycle in good working condition by using the ABC checklist.
• Be alert and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Watch out for pedestrians.
• Ride in a single file.

Children's Sidewalk Bicycling

In the Region of Peel, only bicycles with wheels less than 50cm (20in) in diameter, the size of most children's bike wheels are allowed to cycle on the sidewalks.

When Crossing Intersections

• Stop before entering into the roadway.
• Push the pedestrian button (when available).
• Wait for the pedestrian walk sign.
• Stop, look all ways and listen for traffic.
• Make eye contact with stopped drivers. 
• Look for turning vehicles before crossing and cross safely when the road is clear by walking, not running.
• If riding your bicycle on the road, ride through the intersection when it is your turn and safe to do so.
• If riding your bicycle on the side walk, stop at the end of the sidewalk, get off your bike and walk it across when road is clear.

Remember, be seen, be heard, and be safe.

ABC Checklist – Keeping Your Bike Ride Smooth

Air:

• Tires have enough air.
• Wheels spin freely.

Brakes and bars:

• Brakes work.
• Handlebars are stable.

Chains and crank:

• Chain is tight and lubricated.
• Pedals spin freely.
• Crank is not wobbly.

To learn how you can increase your confidence and improve your riding skills through a cycling course or community ride, visit Walk and Roll Peel.

For more cycling safety tips, check out Road Safety.

Protecting Your Bike - Bike Registry

Common Types of Bullying

• Cyber-bullying – Performed through electronic devices (usually on social media sites) to threaten, harass, embarrass, socially exclude, or damage reputations and friendships.
• Disability bullying – Includes leaving someone out or treating them badly because of a disability, making someone feel uncomfortable, or making jokes to hurt someone because of a disability.
• Physical bullying – Includes hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing or damaging property.
• Racial bullying – Treating people poorly because of their racial or ethnic background; includes saying bad things about a cultural background, calling someone racist names or telling racist jokes.
• Religious bullying – Treating people badly because of their religious background or beliefs; includes making negative comments about a religious background or belief, calling someone names or telling jokes based on his or her religious beliefs to try to hurt them.
• Sexual bullying – Includes leaving someone out; treating them badly, or making them feel uncomfortable because of their gender; making sexist comments or jokes; touching, pinching or grabbing someone in a sexual way; making rude comments about someone's sexual behaviour or orientation; or spreading a sexual rumour.
• Social bullying – Includes excluding others from the group, getting others to ignore or exclude people, gossiping or spreading rumours, setting others up to look foolish and damaging reputations and friendships.
• Verbal bullying – Includes name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing, insults, slurs, humiliating or threatening someone, racist comments, or sexual harassment.

For more information, visit PREVnet.

Warning Signs

• Avoids using their devices, or deletes their social media accounts.
• Is often upset after receiving online/text messages.
• Lower interest in activities and lowered performance at school.
• Fear of going to school.
• Isolating themselves from friends and family.
• Complains of not feeling well (e.g. headaches, stomach aches etc.).
• Lower self-esteem.
• Loses things.

If I am Being Bullied

• Hang out with friends that support you.
• Talk to someone that you trust.
• Document inappropriate messages received as evidence; keep it stored away if needed for future police action. Track the dates, times, and descriptions of the incidents.

If I See Bullying Happening

• Stand up, but only if you feel safe to do so.
• Find a positive, safe way to intervene, to try to stop the bullying behaviour.
• Try to talk to and support the person who is being bullied.
• Find an adult you trust to assist you.
• Consider bringing the person being bullied into a safer environment with supportive people.

If Someone I Know is Being Bullied

• Listen and be supportive.
• Report incidents of bullying to the school administration.
• Encourage them to standing up for themselves and talk to a trusted adult.
• If threats, harassment, theft, assault, mischief or exploitation are involved report it to police.

I am a Bully, Now What?

• Consider apologizing in person to those you've hurt.
• Take responsibility for your actions.
• Speak to a trusted adult about how you feel and seek advice.
• Find positive, supportive friends that help you make good choices.

How to Help a Bully Change

If you are concerned that your child, friend, student or family member is a bully, you should provide:

• Clear and consistent message to the person bullying on how to relate to other people in a positive and healthy way. Check out Healthy Relationships vs. Unhealthy Relationships to help guide your conversation.
• Opportunities to gain positive leadership skills to teach them to work with others; such as local clubs or groups, extracurricular, organized sports, etc.

When do I Call Police?

When threats, harassment, assault, theft, mischief are involved the bullying should be reported to the police. In an emergency, contact 9-1-1, otherwise call our non-emergency line.

Bullying Resources

Kids Help Phone

Peel Public Health

Canadian Safe Schools

PrevNet

Get Cyber Safe

Street-Proofing Tips

Teach your child to:

• Get help from those considered as safe people (Police officers, figherfighters and parametics).
• Run and find a safe person if a stranger/bad person offers candy, money or for help.
• Never approach a car driven by anybody who is attempting to get their attention (Adults shouldn't be asking kids for help).
• Yell STRANGER, STRANGER over and over again and do what ever it takes to break free and run away.
• Always be aware of your surroundings.

Tips to Keep your Child Safer

• Keep an up-to-date photograph and other detailed information about your child on a file at home. This information will assist police if a child goes missing or gets lost.
• If your child becomes separated, don't panic, instead go to the nearest security or courtesy desk (if you are at home call 9-1-1).
• Know who your children play with, including where they go and what routes they take.
• Don't leave your child in unsupervised locations (cars, parks, malls etc.).

If Using a Babysitter or Daycare Service

• Check the credentials thoroughly and talk with parents who are currently using this service or have used it in the past.
• Make sure the sitter has the necessary experience in childcare. This may include CPR and first aid training.
• Always leave the address and telephone number of where you are going with the babysitter. If you change your plans, call and advise the sitter of the new information.

Tips When Walking Home Alone

• Inquire about your school's safety policy.
• Make sure children know their parent/guardian contact information and know how to contact a trusted adult if they feel unsafe.
• Take time to get familiar with the best route to and from school and walk the route with them.
• Avoid having their name visible on their clothing, lunch boxes and other belongings, as it advertises to everyone who they are.

Walking With Electronic Devices

Types of Drugs

A drug is anything ingested or absorbed, other than food, which affects the way a person's body or mind functions. There are three main categories of drugs: stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens.

• Stimulants - Drugs that speed up functions, such as breathing, movements and heart rate, e.g. Caffeine, Cocaine, Ecstasy, Marijuana.
• Depressants - Drugs that slow down functions, such as breathing, movements and heart rate, e.g. Alcohol, Marijuana, Prescription pills.
• Hallucinogens - Drugs that work on the brain to affect the senses, this drug distorts awareness and perception, e.g. LSD, Ecstasy, Marijuana, Salvia.

Signs of Drug Use

• Suspicious objects/paraphernalia.
• More secretive and less co-operative.
• Changes in behaviour/personality.
• Depression.
• Bloodshot eyes.
• Trouble thinking clearly.
• Difficulty maintaining relationships.

Note: possible signs mentioned above are indicators to watch for, but does not confirm the person is involved in drugs.

Helpful Resources

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

YMCA Youth Substance Abuse Program

Ontario Drug and Alcohol Helpline

For more information, visit our Drug Education page

Tips to Be Safer Online

• Never agree to meet someone they've met online.
• Avoid using a Web Cam or digital camera without close supervision.
• Use privacy controls to restrict unwanted people's access to your pages.
• Avoid giving out personal information (i.e. name, address, school you attend).

To Ensure Your Child is Safer Online

• Have open lines of communication with them and establish ground rules on their internet usage.
• Become more computer and internet savvy by learning what your children do online.
• If your child or teen is using a social media platform, you should be too. Make this a joint online learning experience for both you and your child.
• Check out parental controls available on your online service and block inappropriate websites.
• Keep the computer in a public area in your house (avoid having a computer in their room).
• Learn how to set up privacy controls.

To Learn More About Cyber-Safety

Our Cyber Academy offers cyber related course for parents, caregivers, educators and other professionals. Learn more by emailing cyberproofed@peelpolice.ca.

What is Operation Freeze/Heat?

Operation Freeze and Operation Heat is a partnership between Peel Regional Police and Circle K Convenience Stores that encourages youth to learn that doing the right thing is cool.

What is Positive Ticketing?

Task

Judging Panel and Prizes

Poster Winners

First, second and third place winners will be determined by both school boards. The first place winner will have their poster displayed in Mississauga and Brampton transit buses, at Cineplex Odeon Theatres in digital poster frames, and will be awarded a plaque. Second and third place winners will be awarded a plaque.

Success Criteria

When students are designing their submissions, they should keep in mind the knowledge, thinking, application, and communication criteria.

• To meet the knowledge criterion, students must understand prevention and intervention strategies to stop bullying, harassment, hate or discrimination. Students must also understand that there is a social/moral responsibility to help others.
• To meet the thinking criterion, students must think creatively about preventing or responding to incidents of bullying, harassment, hate and discrimination through one of the following concepts: To be Inclusive, To be an Ally, To be Kind.
• The poster should be well designed and have a compelling message to spread awareness and promote the What if Everyone Did Something campaign.
• To meet the application criterion, students must use the campaign slogan, What if Everyone Did Something ... in the final product. Applicants should also use media techniques that evoke a strong emotional response in the audience and all elements should be clear and well-placed.
• To meet the communication criterion, information should be clear, organized and well communicated to an audience of all ages. It should also be engaging and aesthetically pleasing.

Students can be Disqualified if

• There are implications of suicide.
• There are plagiarized images, messages and content (do not post images to internet prior to contest close).
• There is a use of explicit violent content, (e.g. depictions of sexual assault, murder, aggravated assault, etc.) 
• It is inappropriate to share in a public forum.
• The poster doesn't meet the requirements listed above.
• There are spelling/grammar errors (unless they are included to highlight a key message/theme).

Submission Rules

• Media format must be in high resolution for electronic submission (recommended 6,000 dpi resolution).
• Must be received by Peel Regional Police by April 26, 2019 at 5 p.m. Late entries will not be considered.
• All submissions become the property of the Peel Regional Police, Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
• Any images used must be original and/or copyright free.

To enter:

1. Complete the form fields of the submission form. Once submitted, a PDF document will be sent to your parent/guardian's email.
2. Be sure to get a principal at your school to sign the PDF document indicating that they have reviewed the criteria and approve your submission.
3. The signed submission form must be uploaded along with your contest entry. File Type: PDF GIF JPG; File Size: maximum 10 MB.

For further inquiries, contact Crime Prevention Services at 905-453-2121 ext. 4021.