Summer is a time for fun, adventure, and making memories. Whether you’re spending more time with family, playing online, hanging out with friends, or exploring new places, knowing how to protect yourself is key.
This guide is here to help you stay safe from things like abuse, cyberbullying, and digital dangers. With these simple tips, you can enjoy your summer with confidence, knowing how to make smart choices and where to go for help if you ever need it.
PEOPLE AND PLACES 
Summer is always an adventure! Summer is a time when you attend camps, take vacations, and do other programs to have fun and be active. Even if you’re not attending a summer camp program, there are still many new places that you will go.
GOING PLACES
Visiting relatives, attending pool parties, and having sleepovers with friends are favorite summer pastimes, and are great places for you to make new friends. However, no matter where you are, your safety should be the #1 priority.
- Safe Adult/Safe Friend – Always stay close to your Safe Adult (or your Safe Friend) when you’re out, so you can stay safe and have fun together!
- Know What’s Up – Ensure that you know your Safe Adult’s contact info, their address, and other relevant personal information in case of emergency.
- Make A Move and Talk It Up – If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any time, let your Safe Adult know so that they can come pick you up. It may be helpful to set up a code word you can text to them or call them with.
- No Blame, No Shame – If anything happens that makes you uncomfortable, or if someone breaks a Safety Rule, you are never to blame. And you should never be ashamed to talk to a Safe Adult to get help.
MEETING NEW PEOPLE
Many times, children are taught to avoid strangers, but it is hard to avoid strangers—they’re everywhere! Adults speak to strangers every day, for example, when they’re at a store, or just saying hello in passing to be polite. It could make you believe that “bad-looking” strangers are dangerous and “nice-looking” strangers are okay. However, no one can tell if strangers are nice or not just by looking at them, so you should be cautious around all strangers.
Here are some guidelines for you to follow:
- Make A Move – If you ever get lost or separated from your Safe Adult, you may have to ask a stranger for help. Safe strangers may be hard to find, but you should look for someone who is wearing a uniform, such as a police officer or someone who works wherever you are.
- You should also look for a group of adults to ask for help. It’s even better to ask adults who have children with them for help.
- Talk it Up – If someone offers to help you, you can tell them your name, but you should stay where you are and never leave or go off with anyone.
- If you make a new friend – online or at camp – always make sure to have your Safe Adult meet them before you make a plan to see each other in real life.
Digital Safety 
Without school, homework, or after-school activities this summer, you will most likely spend more time on your digital devices. It’s easy to use your phones, tablets, and computers for entertainment, connection, or simply to pass the time. While this can be fun, it’s important to be mindful of screen time and find a balance by including outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and face-to-face socializing in your summer routine.
Online dangers could include seeing inappropriate images online, cyberbullying, apps or websites stealing and using your photos, or people online pretending to be someone they are not. But with the following tips, you can stay safe from these things.
SCREEN TIME
To help keep you safe, here are some tips you should follow when playing online games, apps, chatrooms, and virtual reality sites:
- Protect your Personal Information – Never share your real name, address, number, school, or passwords with people you meet online. If your parents allow you to use the chat features while playing online, be cautious.
- IMPORTANT: Don’t accept friend requests or chat with people you don’t know in real life.
- Limit Screen Time – Set healthy boundaries on how long you play to avoid overuse and maintain balance with offline activities.
- Avoid In-Game Purchases Without Permission from your parents or caregivers. And watch out for Scams and “Free” Offers – Everything you see online is not always true. Don’t click on pop-ups or download “free” items.
- Use Safety Rule #4 to Talk It Up to a Safe Adult if you encounter inappropriate content or other unsafe situations online. Safe Adults can provide guidance and support. It may be scary to talk to adults about issues because you may fear that they may respond harshly, but Safe Adults can help you address issues before they arise and help you stay safe.
- THINK before you post! Remember, it’s really hard to have a post removed later. Establish a good online reputation now, because it could follow you for the rest of your life. “Think before you post” reminds you to consider the potential consequences of what you share online:
- T – Is it True?
- H – Is it Helpful?
- I – Is it Inspiring?
- N – Is it Necessary?
- K – Is it Kind?
CYBERBULLYING
One out of five kids is, or will be, cyberbullied at some point—Yes, it could even happen to you! Although you’re on a summer break from school, cyberbullying never takes a vacation. Chat rooms, online games, apps, and virtual reality sites are familiar places that cyberbullies and predators hang out.
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is repeated, threatening, or harassing behavior that occurs online via the Internet, cellphone, or other digital technology.
If you are a victim of cyberbullying, here are some tips on how to respond:
- Do not respond or message back.
- Tell a Safe Adult immediately; they will help you report the bullying.
- With the help of a Safe Adult, save, copy, and/or print out any evidence of cyberbullying.
- Block the cyberbully and report them to the social media site or website where the cyberbullying is happening.
- If the cyberbullying doesn’t stop, report it to your local law enforcement agency with the help of a Safe Adult.
MBF 5 SAFETY RULES 
The MBF 5 Safety Rules© are taught to children and teens in all MBF Prevention Education Programs. The Safety Rules are strategies designed to help children, teens, and adults identify and respond to abuse, bullying and other types of victimization.
WHY DO WE NEED SAFETY RULES?
Abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, digital dangers, online exploitation, and human trafficking are all very real dangers in our world. And none of us can ever think, “It won’t happen to me,” or that “It won’t happen in my school or community.” The reality is that children are victimized every day, in every community.
The MBF 5 Safety Rules are strategies designed to help you identify and respond to abuse, bullying, and other things that are harmful to you. You can use them to know when a situation or person is unsafe and how to get help from a Safe Adult.
Watch this video to learn more about the 5 Safety Rules and how you can use them to stay safe.
SAFETY RULE #1
Safety Rule #1 – Know What’s Up 
Safety Rule #1 – Know What’s Up means:
- Knowing important personal information such as your home address, parents’ full names, and phone numbers.
- Understanding what to do in an emergency (Who should you call? Where should you go?).
- Having a family password that can be used if someone ever needs to pick you up due to an emergency.
SAFETY RULE #2
Safety Rule #2 – Spot Red Flags 
Safety Rule #2 – Spot Red Flags means:
- Knowing who can hurt you and how.
- Knowing your personal space and boundaries (including the correct names for your private body parts).
- Knowing the warning signs of unsafe situations, such as someone trying to trick you, asking you to keep secrets from a Safe Adult, or looking at or touching your private body parts.
- Knowing how to stay safe online.
SAFETY RULE #3
Safety Rule #3 – Make a Move 
Safety Rule #3 – Make a Move means:
- If you are being hurt, or believe a friend is being hurt, you will Make a Move to help you stay safe.
- If possible, you will GET AWAY from any unsafe situation.
- If you know people or places that are unsafe, you will STAY AWAY.
- You will GET AWAY and STAY AWAY from unsafe situations online.
SAFETY RULE #4
Safety Rule #4 – Talk It Up 
Safety Rule #4 – Talk It Up means:
- Using your voice to say “No” when you Spot Red Flags, see an unsafe situation, see a friend who is unsafe, or when someone makes you feel unsafe, online or off.
- Talking to a Safe Adult if you feel unsafe, or aren’t sure if a situation is unsafe.
- Continuing to use your voice to Talk It Up until you have received help and you are safe.
SAFETY RULE #5
Safety Rule #5 – No Blame | No Shame 
Safety Rule #5 – No Blame | No Shame means:
- Knowing you are not to blame if you are ever hurt by an adult or another child.
- Knowing you should not be ashamed to someone.
- Knowing it is never too late to tell, no matter what has happened, when it happened, or what you have been told.
SAFE ADULTS 
At MBF, we believe adults are responsible for keeping children safe; however, we also know that some adults aren’t always safe. If you are in an unsafe situation, or if you’re not sure about a situation, you need to know that you can always use Safety Rule #4 to Talk It Up with a Safe Adult.
WHAT IS A SAFE ADULT?
A Safe Adult is someone in your life whom you trust and who you know will always keep you safe.
Watch this video to learn more about Safe Adults.
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A SAFE ADULT?
- Someone who follows the Safety Rules, and someone who doesn’t try to get you to break the Safety Rules
- A person who is older than you, and who can help in an unsafe situation
- A person whom you feel comfortable talking to about scary or tough situations
- Someone who will listen to you
SAFE FRIEND
Sometimes it is easier for you to talk to an adult if you have someone with you, like a Safe Friend. A Safe Friend can be a sibling, classmate, or cousin. It is someone that you trust, and might find it easy to talk to about unsafe situations. However, while talking to a Safe Friend can be helpful, their role is to help you talk to a Safe Adult. You should always talk to a Safe Adult anytime you are unsafe or unsure if a situation is safe.
Summer is a time for fun, friends, and adventure—but it’s also important to stay safe. By knowing how to protect yourself from things like bullying, online dangers, and unsafe situations, you can have a great summer and feel more confident. Always talk to a Safe Adult if something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried. Remember, being safe means being smart and strong. Have fun, make good choices, and enjoy every moment of your summer break!
