Parents have been urged to ensure they choose safe sports and leisure organisations for their children this summer.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) yesterday published a guide, Have fun and be safe, which asks parents to be wary of organisations that discourage them from staying to watch activities. They should also be wary of behaviour that encourages rough play, sexual innuendo or humiliating punishments.
A checklist is provided for parents to help them to choose a safe organisation. All organisations should have a child protection policy, including a statement on, and guidelines about, keeping children safe, according to the guide.
Worried parents, who may be reluctant to voice their concerns, are urged to take action. This might include speaking to other parents, to the leader in charge, or someone in a higher position of authority. Any parent with a serious concern about a child at risk of abuse should contact their local health board or Garda station, according to the guide.
A second ISPCC leaflet, Time Together, encourages parents to spend more quality time with their children. It contains practical tips such as doing household tasks together and reading to children at bedtime.
The Minister of State for Children, Ms Mary Hanafin, said this approach fitted well with the National Children's Strategy.
"I see this as a positive campaign. Parenting is a very positive thing. Children in Ireland today need to have positive attitudes," she said.
It was clear from parents' feedback that today's parents, due to commitments in the workplace and running the home, were finding it increasingly difficult to spend quality time with their children, according to the ISPCC. Many parents felt under pressure to make special time with their children, not realising that often the day-to-day things made the most impact.
The Time Together campaign will run from May until the end of the year, focusing each month on different ways of spending quality time with children. The leaflets will be distributed free to parents through various outlets, including Dunnes Stores.