November 15, 2014
Students from Kumbia and Wooroolin State Schools learned the importance of three simple words on Friday: Recognise, React and Report.
Bruce and Denise Morcombe – parents of murdered Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe – made a special presentation at Kumbia State School.
“Recognise, React and Report … these words could save your life,” the couple told students.
Bruce and Denise, who now head the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, were appointed Child Safety Ambassadors for Queensland in September 2011.
Since then, they’ve delivered presentations to 87,000 students at more 250 Queensland schools and addressed a further 5000 students at more than 20 schools interstate.
Their safety message is simple:
- Recognise – “If you think something is wrong, it probably is”. Listen to “body clues”, the ways that your body alerts you to danger, ie goosebumps, butterflies in the tummy, sweating, shaking. “Recognise that your body clues are telling you that something is not right.”
- React – Remove yourself from the danger. Run to a safe place; and then …
- Report – Tell what has happened to someone from your safety network of adults, or to someone in uniform such as police officer. “If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, face-to-face or online, report it to an adult”.
The couple reassured students that most people are good and didn’t want to hurt them, but there were potential dangers out in the world and it paid to be cautious.
“Don’t think every car driver in the street is an abductor but use your instincts,” Denise said.
Some other suggestions:
- Carefully go through your friends list on Facebook and other social media and delete everyone you don’t know
- Check all your privacy settings on Facebook so only your friends and family can see what you post
- Don’t take the “risky” way home along a dark path or across an isolated field just to save a few minutes; stay near houses and shops, where people are out and about
- If possible, always travel with a friend
- Plan ahead – select a “meeting spot” in case you become separated from your parents at an event
- If a car driver asks for directions, call out the answer, never approach the car; if they open the door, run to a safe place
- Never get into a car with someone who is not authorised to collect you, even if you know them
- Organise a “family password”. Only people who know the password can pick you up (“no password, no go”).
- Set up a trusted network of five adults who you can talk to, at least two of whom are outside the family eg. a teacher, a friend’s parent
- Always report if someone offers you gifts or money, or make threats to hurt you or someone you know
- Learn how to ring Triple 0 and the Kids Helpline 1800-55-1800
During the talk, Bruce and Denise also recounted how their son was abducted and murdered in December 2003.
His murderer – Brett Peter Cowan – wasn’t caught until eight years later; Cowan was finally convicted of Daniel’s murder and sentenced to a 20-year to life prison term in March this year.
In the interim, the couple created the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to honour the memory of their son.
The Foundation sees its role in the community as assisting teachers and parents in educating children about their personal safety by funding the development of child safety educational resources; assisting young victims of crime through financial support, in addition to that provided by Government agencies; and empowering all Australians to make their own local communities safer places for children.
After the 35-minute presentation concluded, students from both schools adjourned to the school’s rear oval for a mass balloon release to mark the couple’s visit.
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Video: Selected messages for different age groups from the Foundation’s “Keeping Kids Safe” program
