At Home

Different people have different homes. No matter what your home is like, remember that you have the right to feel safe in it.

People can feel unsafe at home for lots of different reasons. On the Childline website you can find information and advice about lots of different issues about home life including:

• Family relationships
• Sexual abuse
• Domestic abuse

If you’re a victim of domestic abuse or you know someone that is, you can find information and advice at The Hideout website.  

If you feel unsafe at home and are thinking about running away, please visit the Childline running away website. There are people that you can talk to for help and advice and you can telephone ChildLine on 0800 11 11.

Online safety

The internet is an amazing place which you can use to find information and share things with friends and families. Although the online world may not seem like a real place, it is like any other environment with its own risks and dangers so it’s important that you stay safe when you’re using it.  

For internet safety tips check out the ThinkYouKnow website. The website has sections for specific age groups including 5-7 years, 8-10 years and 11-16 years.

On theThinkYouKnow website you can also report internet abuse.

The Childline online safety website is also a great place to find out how you can keep safe online. On the website you can find information about:

• Staying safe in social networks
• Covering your tracks online
• Cyber bullying
• Mobile phone safety

General internet safety

• Don't take other people at face value - they may not be what they seem.
• Don’t post too much personal information about yourself online. You wouldn’t put a sign up in the street with your name, address, date of birth and hobbies on it, so you shouldn’t do it online.
• Never arrange to meet someone you've only ever previously met on the internet, without telling a friend and giving them as much detail about the person you're meeting and where you’re going to be.
• Don’t tell people that you’re going away on holiday via social networks (you may be able to trust your friends to know your house is unoccupied, but what about their friends?).
• Don't open an attachment or download files unless you know and trust the person who has sent it.
• If somebody is abusive to you or a member of your family online, don’t respond to them but do report them.

Fire safety

There are loads of things that you can do to help protect your family and your home from fire.

• If you have a smoke alarm that works and is in the right place, it could save your life in a fire. Make sure that someone in your family checks your smoke alarm every week. Join our campaign to make your Tuesday a Test Day and help make sure that your family is protected!
• If someone smokes in your house make sure that when they stub it out, they stub it right out. To help prevent a fire in your home why not encourage smokers to take their cigarettes outside. It’s not only safer, but it will help protect your family from the chemicals in cigarette smoke. Find out more about the national campaign to smoke outside.
• If you cook (or someone else cooks for you) keep your kitchen safe. Find out how on the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue website. One of the most horrific types of fire in the kitchen is caused by chip pans so if you like chips, cook them in the oven. If you really have to use a chip pan, never over fill it with oil and NEVER leave it unattended.

Would you know what to do if there was a fire in your home? If there is a fire in your home it will look very different and it will smell different. The entrances and exits you would normally use at home may be blocked so it is very important that you and your family plan a fire escape route. To find out how visit the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service website.