Being safe at Joeys and Cubs
If you or someone you know is really badly hurt or is about to be really badly hurt, always call 000.
Some of the things we’re talking about here are hard to read or understand. If you’re unsure about any of it, find a parent, guardian, or other adult that you trust and feel safe with, to read it with you.
Joeys and Cubs is a place where all Joeys, Cubs, your Leaders and your family and friends should feel safe. This is the same no matter where you were born, what languages you speak, the colour of your skin, or whether you need special help – perhaps you are in a wheelchair, have trouble reading or concentrating, or need glasses or hearing aids.
It’s your Joey and Cub Leaders’ job to look after you while you’re at Joeys and Cubs. These are some of the things that they need to do:
- Stop you from getting hurt, and help you if you do hurt yourself
- Make sure you’re wearing the right clothes for the activity you’re doing
- Make sure you’re drinking enough water, or have eaten enough food on a camp
- Try to help you if you’re upset
- Stop other people from hurting you
Your Leaders have to do a lot of training to be allowed to look after you, just like your teachers at school.
There are also some things that no adult – even if they’re your Leader, your teacher, your mum or dad, or another family member – should do. These are usually things that might hurt you, or make you feel bad.
If anyone tries to make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, you should try to stop them by saying ‘no!’ or ‘stop!’. It’s not your job to stop it from happening though, and it’s not your fault that these things happen. You should always speak to a trusted grown-up and ask them for help. The adult you speak to should be someone that you feel safe with and who you think will help you.
If the person hurting you is someone at Joeys and Cubs, you should tell your parents, guardians, or another adult that you feel safe with, and show them this webpage. They can then click this link to get more information about what they can do.
If the person hurting you is another adult, you should also talk to your parents or someone else you trust, like your Joey or Cub Leader, who can help you. You can also get help by talking to the Kids Helpline – click here to talk to them.
Any adult you talk to about these things happening to you should listen to everything you say and believe you. Because of this, you should never make up anything about what’s happening to you – it’s the job of the adults you talk to believe what you say and help you fix it.
If you or someone you know is really badly hurt or is about to be really badly hurt, always call 000.
If you aren’t sure whether what someone is doing to you is wrong, want to talk with someone about what’s happening to you, or don’t know who to talk to, you can always contact the Kids Helpline. You can ring them on 1800 55 1800, or go to their webpage, where you can find more information or chat with someone online.
We also have a special number for Joeys, Cubs, or any other members of Scouts to ring if something bad is happening at a Scouting activity - you can call 1800 870 772, and it won't cost anything either.