New research from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) shows how mobiles are putting children at risk of serious accidents. 1 in 4 parents (24%) admit their child has had an accident or near miss when they’ve been engrossed in their mobile phone. Over two-thirds (69%) of parents surveyed said they are distracted by their mobile phone, with over three-quarters (77%) confessing they usually check texts and posts as soon as they come in. The findings have been released to highlight Child Safety Week (6-12 June), a national awareness campaign run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust. The Week equips families with knowledge about serious accident risks to children and the simple steps they can take to prevent them and the theme for 2016 is "Turn off technology!"
Commenting on the findings, CAPT Chief Executive, Katrina Phillips said:
“Mobile phones are a godsend for parents under pressure – we can do the shopping, keep in touch with friends and family, and keep our children entertained. But while we’re mesmerised by our mobiles, we’re putting children in danger. Serious accidents happen in seconds, often while we’re distracted, and mobiles are seriously distracting. That’s why we’re encouraging families to turn off technology at pressure points during the day, to help keep children safe.”
Child Safety Week is run by Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) which provides resources to help practitioners run local activities and events and promote safety messages in a fun and engaging way. The week showcases existing initiatives and kick-starts new work and partnerships for child safety. It aims to raise awareness of the risks of child accidents and how they can be prevented and a Child Safety Week 2016 action pack is available to download. The guide is for anyone who wants to get effective messages out to children and families about preventing accidents and has
- top tips for engaging with families and carers
- tips for working in partnership
- information about some of the most common causes of child accidents and how to prevent them
- event ideas
- useful resources
- evaluation form for participants
- competitions
A poisoning prevention Taste Test kit from the sponsor, Bitrex is also available now – completely free. You can get it here. There are a number of ways to get involved, with events being held across the week, and find out more about child safety generally.You can do this by:
Read more about Child Safety Week
Read more about the Child Accident Prevention Trust