Who to trust

Here are the rules we taught you as a little kid to stay safe - and they still hold true:

• You trust immediate family (me, your mum, all your grandparents, and Uncle Mike)

• You can seek help from teachers, police, ambulance and firemen

• If no-one else is around, you can seek help from an adult you feel safe with.

BUT you REFUSE and TELL family immediately if:

• Someone makes you feel uncomfortable or bad

• Asks you to do something you know or think is wrong

• Tries to force you into something you don't want to do

• Touches you in a way you don't like.

Now you are older, you know that you also need to work out who is trustworthy, not just how to stay safe.

You will have well and truly realised by now that not everyone is nice. Most people, kids and adults, have their own hang-ups or other personal problems. You rarely find someone who is great to be around all the time. But while that doesn't make most people untrustworthy, it does mean we need to be able to quickly work out whether we can or should deal with them.

The best rule of thumb to remember is that actions speak louder than words. No matter what someone says, if they treat you or others badly, that is your best indicator about whether to trust them.