Singapore - Safety tips

Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world for children. There is a very clean, safe public transport system that children from the age of about 12 years old could use during the day without adult supervision. It is safe for teenagers to shop, go to the movies and attend sports activities during the day on their own and for older teenagers to go out in the evenings with friends.

School transport
An important child safety issue in Singapore is around the question of getting children safely to and from school. Because most expatriate children do not attend a local neighborhood school they usually have to travel some distance to an international school. The international schools have bus routes that go to many different parts of the island. The bus journey itself is relatively safe because the traffic system is well organized.

The main safety issues arise when children are waiting for their school bus in the morning. Depending on where you live, the place where the bus stops may be a busy one with lots of traffic. Adults should always supervise young children.

Swimming pools
Most expatriate condominiums have one or more swimming pools. These pools are not usually fenced off so you need to continually supervise children playing in or near a swimming pool.

To keep children safe, it's a good idea to prepare them in advance.
Teach children their name, address, telephone number and parents' names
Tell them that if it doesn't feel right, it's OK to say NO
Tell them not to get into the car or walk with a stranger. If your child has to be picked up by someone else, make sure you have agreed on a secret code, so they can identify the person correctly.
Tell them not to let a stranger take a picture of them.
Tell them not to approach a car if somebody is asking for directions or claims of having lost a pet.
Do not have your child wear clothing or anything else where the name is visible.
As parents, we should listen to our children carefully and watch for any warning signs they may be giving us indirectly. Make sure you know your children's friends, teachers etc