Parents can help ensure school ball safety

14/07/2008 | School Ball Safety 

Talking with other parents is still the key to helping your teenagers stay safe during the school ball season. Health Promotion Adviser Martin Macmaster says adolescents can be very persuasive when convincing parents to “butt out”, but sharing information and opinions with other parents can give you the confidence to keep tabs on your teenager – and keep them safe.

“Remember the school ball is part of your teenager’s initiation into adulthood and they still need your help.” This and other social events are part of adolescents’ learning to get along in the adult world. They need to learn social conventions and deal with the good and the bad that comes with influences like peer pressure, alcohol, illicit drugs, and freedom from supervision.

You can help by letting them know what you expect, and giving them options:

• Make sure you know the details of venue and whether it will be supervised. Contact the parents of the pre and after ball party givers. Maybe offer to help.
• Check how and when your teen will be getting there and back. Will the driver be drinking? Agree reasonable curfew times.
• Make sure your teenager has the social skills necessary to feel okay about saying "no" to alcohol or drugs, and that they have a phone card or access to a phone. Work out a family password which means "Help come and get me!" so they can signal if they feel unsafe.
• Talk through possible scenarios with them like unwanted sexual advances or feeling physically threatened.

School balls still to come: Saturday 19 July, Horowhenua College; Saturday 2 August, Freyberg and Awatapu; Saturday 9 August, Palmerston North Boys High School; and Saturday 23 August, Feilding High School.

CONTACT:
Health Promotion Adviser Martin MacMaster (06) 350-9118 or Communications Unit: (06) 350-8945