Child safety: Clever Never Goes

A Hampshire headteacher is playing a leading role in a new campaign to educate children about how to stay safe out of school.

The Clever Never Goes child safety programme was launched in June this year by the charity Action Against Abduction, working in partnership with the Hampshire Constabulary.

“Teaching children simply to avoid strangers doesn’t work,” explained Geoff Newiss, director of Action Against Abduction. “Most strangers will help rather than harm children. Conversely, it is often people known to children that pose the greatest threat.

“Clever Never Goes moves the focus away from strangers and instead teaches children to recognise when someone – anyone – is asking them to go with them. We want to give children practical safety skills which they can use as they get older and become more independent.”