Set up safer babysitting

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​This week we will look at Babysitting and how to set up safer informal child care so that kids are safer when you’re not around.
It’s useful to understand that around half of all offending against children is done by teenagers (both male and female), and that teens who sexually abuse will often do so during baby-sitting. Babysitting (and sexual abuse) can be done by people of all ages so precautions should be taken regardless of the age of the babysitter.
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You can minimise risk associated with informal childcare (babysitting) by:

• Asking for references and check if past families had any concerns about safety.
• Spending time watching them interact with your children before you leave.
• Watching for cues of unsafe behaviour (https://www.helpauckland.org.nz/unsafe-adult-behaviour.html ).
• Not allowing babysitters to bring other people into your home while they are caring for your kids.

If family members are babysitting your kids:

• Remind them about the kind of touching and privacy that’s expected in your family (see our earlier post).
• If the family member has a partner or person with them that you’re not familiar with, make it clear that you are expecting the family member to care for the kids and that they shouldn’t be left alone with the other person.

This Week’s Activities:

• Talk about the kind of touching and privacy that is ok in your family. Ask the kids if they think these rules apply when they are being cared for by other people too?
• During Babysitting, mention to the babysitter that the kids might say ‘don’t keep secrets’ or may say something about ‘touching rules’ and show them the posters on your fridge as context. Ask them for their help in reinforcing these messages with the kids.
• After babysitting, ask your kids how they felt being cared for, and listen to what they tell you. Ask an open-ended question like, ‘how was it being baby sat by Aunty and Uncle last night?’ ‘Would you like to be looked after again by them?’

 
Please note, if you have an older child who has started babysitting other children you might like to talk with them about how they can also help keep kids safe by following the above strategies. You can also encourage them to talk with you about how comfortable they feel with the family they are babysitting, and develop specific strategies for minimising the time they are alone with the adults of the family (for example when they are being dropped home after babysitting). Being employed by another person should never make someone feel they cannot speak up about something that makes them uncomfortable.

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