Reservation but merit seen in safe houses

Press, 22 October 1986, Page 1

Reservation but merit seen in safe houses

By

ASHLEY CAMPBELL,

education reporter

Christchurch education authorities have mixed reactions to the suggestion that “safe houses” be established near city schools.

While representatives of the Canterbury Education Board, the New Zealand Educational Institute, and the North Canterbury Primary Principals’ Association could see merit in the idea, they also had reservations. Mr Barry Moore, president of the principals’ association, said young children would not have time to run to a safe house if they were grabbed by someone on the street. "I think the concept is excellent, but we need to think of the reality of putting it into action. It would take a lot of careful thought,” he said. Mr Moore also warned of the danger of overreacting to the death of Louisa Damodran.

“You get children so scared that they don’t trust anybody.” Children were talking about the incident, he said, and were “absolutely horrified” by it. The “Keeping Ourselves Safe” programme was one positive way of protecting children from this sort of attack, he said. Mr Moore said the association would be prepared to meet other groups to see if safe houses were feasible, but he expected there would be problems to resolve. Mr David Waghorn, chairman of the Education Board, said the board would be prepared to “encourage and help” groups which helped children in difficulty. However, he

had doubts about a safe house system.

“I would be at a loss to understand how you could persuade children aged five or six to avail themselves of that sort of opportunity,” he said. Many young children would not know when they needed help, and would not be able to read signs identifying a safe house. Mr Waghorn instead advocated the “buddy system” to help protect children. Under this system, older children become a young child’s “buddy” and are responsible for looking after the young child. Mr Waghorn said this system was tried several years ago ■ in a North Island school. Mr Ken Larken, the Christchurch branch president of the N.Z.E.1., said that in an ideal world all children would be met at school by a parent. In reality, that did not happen, and other ways of protecting children had to be found. “I could see the institute taking an interest in anything that is going to make the place safer for children,” he said.