Child Safety
Making the best possible match between Little and Big is critical to the growth and development of a child. But before we begin the matching process, we start by thoroughly screening potential Bigs.
Big Brothers Big Sisters National Standards of Excellence require each volunteer to complete an extensive screening process that includes:
- Completion of a formal written application
- Background and reference checks
- An in-person interview
- An orientation and training process that outlines the individualized needs of your child and provides information and resources on how to encourage your child's development
Big Brothers Big Sisters also provides child safety tips to you and your child, and we welcome your questions and feedback. Throughout the life of the match, our professional staff will be in ongoing communication with you, your child, and your child's Big. It’s the best way to build a strong relationship that will have the greatest impact on your child’s future success.
A Little Guidance: Cinnamon Challenge Intrigues Teens and Frightens Parents
by Jarquita Brooks
Guest Writer, AmerCorps Service member
According to March 15, 2012 Huffington Post blog...
… 10 to 13 year olds trust their peers more so than their parents.
… 13 to 16 year old boys take more risks than boys of any other age group. Girls of that same age view social success as far more important than academic success.
… YouTube receives more than 2 Billion views a day.
… YouTube users upload 24hrs worth of video every minute.
Now, how do facts about teenagers mesh with statistics about YouTube? Recently, students and celebrities alike across the nation, jumped on the latest YouTube stunt known as the “Cinnamon Challenge”. The dare is to eat or swallow a tablespoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything, then uploading the video to YouTube.
Mary Poppins, famously sang, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’, but a spoonful of cinnamon has quite a different effect. The usual result of this stunt is "a coughing, gagging fit involving clouds of cinnamon" which "leaves some people gasping for air". The challenge is IMPOSSIBLE.
Dejah Reed, a freshman at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, spent four days in a hospital with an infection and a collapsed lung after attempting the cinnamon challenge.
School administrators are sending advisories to alert parents and caregivers to the dangers the challenge could pose to your children after four apparently related cases, including Reed, were reported to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Regional Poison Control Center in the last month alone, according to the Detroit News.
As parents/caregivers and other trusted adults, we only have so much say in the interests of our teens, but what we can do is make sure they are making well-informed decisions whether they’re considering testing the latest stunt or simply dipping their toes into the shallow waters of social success.
Children need to know just as much about the dangers of ‘popular dares’ and the latest viral phenomenon as much as they know about not texting while driving.
However, let’s say you’ve already warned your children about the Cinnamon Challenge. Have you talked to them about the salt and ice challenge? How about the mustard challenge? Kids, especially teenagers, will find new, unimaginable "dares" with their friends no matter how many warnings we give them.
In comparison, your child’s school may teach them about staying away from drugs, but there’s no curriculum about which behaviors to avoid on YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. So how do we challenge our kids not to jump on the next senseless YouTube stunt? Do a Challenge together!
CHALLENGE #1: Sit at a computer with your child/Little. Watch their favorite YouTube clip with them, without criticism. Afterwards, ask them “What did you think?”, “Why does that interest you?” Based on their response, you’ll understand your child’s interests and beliefs.
CHALLENGE #2: Share some of the poor childhood decisions you’ve made. Explain your thought process before and after the event. What happened as a result? What were the consequences? What did you learn?
CHALLENGE #3: Be as open with your child/Little about yourself as you would like them to be with you.
It would take you 1700 years to watch the hundreds of millions of videos on YouTube but it only takes ONE to influence a child. Being a trusted adult in a teens’ life today doesn’t come with a road map. There most certainly will be detours. However, getting them to their destinations in life is possible. Are you up for the CHALLENGE?
For more information on how to talk with your teen/Little about these or any other issue, please contact your MSS specialist.
Beth O’Connor P: 313-309-9229 Email: beth.oconnor@bbbsdetroit.org
Laron Evans P: 313-309-9244 Email: laron.evans@bbbsdetroit.org
Dyrel Johnson P: 313-309-9247 Email: dyrel.johnson@bbbsdetroit.org
Lauren Brick P: 313-309-9230 Email: Lauren.brick@bbbsdetroit.org
Shanese Ross P: 313-309-9233 Email: shanese.ross@bbbsdetroit.org
Elizabeth Elzey P: 313-309-9253 Email: Elizabeth.elzey@bbbsdetroit.org
Ashley Johnson P: 313-309-9254 Email: Ashley.johnson@bbbsdetroit.org
Making the best possible match between Little and Big is critical to the growth and development of a child. But before we begin the matching process, we start by thoroughly screening potential Bigs.
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