Forcing a child to obey in this way works only temporarily, while the consequences of those words in the future may threaten the child’s safety. Let us suppose that our child gets lost and is approached by a stranger, or that their guardian needs help. It is unlikely that the child would then turn to a police officer who happened to be nearby. Of course, such a reaction would be appropriate and would help avert the danger. However, a child previously frightened by the uniform may only be afraid to establish contact with an officer.
How are they supposed to call 997 if “the police take children away”?
We often encounter situations in which parents warn their children about law enforcement officers, frightening them by saying that if they misbehave, a police officer will take them away.
Children learn from adults how they should behave in different situations. So if adults teach them to be afraid of police officers, they will fear them and only with time—or from their peers—usually learn that it is a lie. Young children cannot distinguish truth from fiction and do not know what a joke is, so if they hear that they should be afraid of a police officer, they will be afraid.
Adults should consider how children feel when, after being frightened with the police or a nurse, they nevertheless have to come into contact with representatives of these professions for one reason or another. Let us not instill fear in young people where it is entirely unnecessary and unhelpful. Let us give them a sense of security, because surely we do not want to raise a fearful child and later a fearful teenager.
A Little One’s Trust Is Fundamental
Let us teach our children that, if they get lost in a park, for example, they can approach a police officer and ask for help. Let us not instill fear and anxiety in them about law enforcement officers.
Let us remember that young children are intelligent. They know that crossing the road at a red light may result in being hit by a car, and that they must fasten their seat belts when getting into a car for their safety. There is no need to frighten them by saying that a police officer will come because they have been disobedient.
Let us teach our children safety rules instead of instilling fear in them. Enforcing obedience in this way temporarily may seem like an ideal solution, but in the future it may have very negative consequences.
A comic has been created depicting an example of a situation in which a young child gets lost in a park but, upon seeing a police officer, is afraid to approach them. “In this simple but meaningful way, we want to make parents and guardians aware of the consequences of frightening children with the Police,” the officers say.
