Tips

As always, large multinational public events generate heightened concern for personal security. The 2010 World Cup being held in Rustenburg, South Africa is no exception. The FIFA approved comprehensive security plan is broken into seven phases. The first phase began in 2004 when South Africa was selected to host this year's World Cup Tournament. The plan includes 41,000 Police Officers and $74.5 Million USD in hi-tech equipment. All the planning in the world however, can't insure the month-long event will go off without a hitch.

The committee’s overwhelming focus has been on protecting the attendees against the potential for violent crime, however, even with all the preparations security does not appear to be very tight. Just yesterday, according to the Huffington Post, attendees witnessed several people setting off the metal detectors on their way into the stadium and then being waved in by smiling security guards without being asked to do so much as empty their pockets! For attendees with credentials, people with advanced tickets that have passed 'pre-screening' checks, bag checks are often cursory or are not done at all. Monday the stadium stewards walked out in protest of low pay or their work, leaving the stadium more-or-less unguarded during the Italy-Paraguay match.

This latent security should leave attendees of the World Cup concerned, however, by following certain guidelines you can increase your chances of both enjoying the World Cup and staying safe.

• Be mindful of your surroundings. As everyone knows, beer is a big part of soccer, but that doesn't mean that your entire group should go 'wild' and every game. Sure you don't have to drive, but South Africa can be dangerous and with so many tourists in town for the World Cup, you can bet that prospective criminals will be on the look out for anyone who seems to be enjoying themselves too much.  So drink moderately at the games or, if that doesn't work, elect a rotating DN (designated navigator) to keep you on track to your hotel. Regardless of whether you've been drinking, always keep an eye on where you are, where you're going, and who's around you.

• Try to 'blend in' with the crowd. When you're walking around, either before or after a match, try to blend in with those around you. Be mindful of your personal space, keep any valuables in inside pockets, but try not to call too much attention to yourself by being overly loud, pointing, or by straying out of tourist areas.

• Stay in groups and on the beaten path. Don't go anywhere alone. At the very least bring a buddy, but a group of about 4 or 5 people is probably the safest bet. If your guide book or hotel tells you to stay out of certain areas, stay out of them. If security guards or police are ushering you away from a particular place, obey their instructions. Exercise common sense and good judgement while walking around the city.

• Don't flaunt your wealth. American's are a prime target to a potential criminal because of their suspected wealth. While you can't change being American, you can change how you are precieved as a victim. So keep you money out of sight, and don't spend wildly while you're out in the city. Research tipping culture before you go to a pub or restaurant so you know how much is normal. Leaving too large of a tip can mark you as both inexperienced and wealthy. Also, as hard as it might be to resist, don't give too much money to people on the street - it can attract un-wanted attention.

• If your wallet is stolen, report it immediately to your bank. If you notice that your credit cards or passport are missing report them immediately to the local consulate or your home bank. The sooner you report them the less likely you are to have your identity stolen or to be a victim of monetary theft. Before you go (if you are going for the later part of the month) consider investing in an Identity Protection Service, that way, even if your credit and personal information is stolen you will not be at risk for identity theft or fraud.

• Maintain regular email contact with those back home. This is both for your safety and for the peace of mind of your family and friends back home. Arange to send an email to them on a regular basis - perhaps every 2-3 days. Agree that if you don't check in with in 24 hours of the agreed day, your freind or family member will report you missing to the authorities.

It's more than likely that you'll be safe for the duration of your stay in South Africa, however, the above precautions will give you and those at home some peace-of-mind while you're away. Just remember to respect the cultural and civil environment in which you are now a visitor!

As the last day of school and summer vacation draws near, working parents are faced with making tough decisions about what to do with their kids while they are at work. For many American families full-time childcare program is simply financially infeasible.  Hardly a rare phenomenon, more than 3 million children under the age of 12 stay home alone at least some of each week in the US, with an even greater number of teens also staying home alone. A study by the American Psychological Association suggests that staying home alone is not necessarily bad for children, concluding that the success of kids staying home alone depends more on what they do while home alone than the fact that their parent isn’t there with them. Leaving your kids home alone can be nerve wracking but, with the proper preparation and structure in place, it can be a good experience for both your children and you.  
 

• Is your child ready to be home alone? Before you prepare your children to stay home alone on occasion this summer you should ask yourself a few questions: Are your children able to keep themselves entertained or do they need constant supervision? Do they get along with each other or do they fight a lot? Do they understand and follow instructions? How do they make decisions under pressure? Once you’ve asked yourself these questions you should ask your children if they want to stay home alone. Many children will answer this question honestly – especially when they are younger. If your children (or eldest child) are comfortable assuming the responsibility of being home alone, proceed to the next step.  

• Do a safety check of your home. Before you leave your children at home make sure that there are no obvious safety risks in your house. For instance, make sure any and all firearms are locked in a safe to which your children do not have access. Lock away any alcohol, cigarettes, medicines, and potentially poisonous chemicals to ensure that your children will not have access to them while home alone. Also, remove any spare keys that you keep either under the doormat or near the door area. Thieves know people keep keys in these places. Move your key to somewhere less common and perhaps unique to your house and let your children know where it is, or better yet, leave the spare key with a trusted neighbor.  

• Establish “House Rules”. Come up with a list of behaviors you expect from your children while at home. Go over each item on the list with them and then post the list in a visible place in your house so that it can easily be referred back to. Include on the list things that they will both be expected to do and things that are off limits.

• Prepare. If one of your rules is “No cooking” make sure you have food prepared for your children that doesn’t require cooking. If you require that they spend at least one hour a day reading make sure that appropriate books are available and that there is a system in place to check that they read when you got home. If you require that your children do a daily chore, make sure that any supplies needed to accomplish that chore are available for it and that your child knows how to perform that chore. Setting up rules that your children can’t reasonably follow sets you both up for failure so, make sure you help them succeed in every way possible.

• Teach your kids how to answer the phone. One of your house rules should be that your children should always check Caller ID when the phone rings and should only answer calls from family and friends. Regardless of whether they know the person or not your children, when home alone, should always respond to a caller asking for their parents with the following phrase: “My mom/dad is not available right now, can I take a message?” Instruct them to NEVER tell a stranger that they are home alone.  

• Have an “Emergency Plan.” Talk to your kids about the potential situations they could get into at home and how they should respond to them. They need to know that serious injuries, fires, and criminal or suspicious activity are all are emergency situations and warrant calling 9-1-1. Prepare a first aid kit (Band-Aids, flash-light, etc) for your children and teach them how to properly use each item. Leave a how-to list inside the kit just in case they forget how to use something when the time comes. They also need to know what situations are not emergencies, so go over as many situations with them as you can. It can also help to teach your kids how to avoid emergencies. Come up with practice situations for your children: an in-home fire, a break-in, or a serious injury while playing outside. Make your children practice, step-by-step how they would respond in these situations. Obviously, you can’t prepare your children for every situation but if you role-play different circumstances it can help increase their confidence that they will be able to handle such situations should one arise.
  

• Develop a phone check routine. Have a routine where either you (or your spouse) call the house (not your children’s cell phones, unless you have agreed that they will be at a friend’s house) to check in with your children at regular intervals. Make sure it is clear what times you expect them to be home to receive your calls. When you call ask questions that will help you find out how things are going: What are they doing right now? What else have they done today? Do they need help with anything? Has anything different or suspicious happened today? Also, make sure that your children know that they can call you whenever they need you during the day. Post your work and cell phone numbers as well as the numbers of nearby relatives or a trusted neighbor just in case they forget.

• Know Your Neighborhood.  Identify the hazards in your neighborhood and if you haven’t already, go out of your way to get to know the people that live nearby.  In case of an emergency your kids may need to go to one of your neighbors for help. Pick at least one trusted neighbor nearby that will be home during the day and that your kids can go to for help if something happens.  Also, run a Property & Neighborhood Report to locate and identify sex offenders in the area then, using the photos and addresses in the report, make sure your kids know where potential predators live and what they look like.  

• Listen and let your children know that you appreciate them. After they have had a few days alone sit down and invite them to share how they feel about being home alone and any questions or concerns. Be willing to listen to everything they have to say and try and make any adjustments necessary. When things go right, let them know that they’ve done a good job and that you are proud of them. 

Although the task ahead may seem daunting, taking these steps will help your family stay safe and happy when you can’t be there.