Safety Hand
Activity by Cathy Malchiodi
from Helping Children Feel Safe, ©TLC 2002

Note: Although the age range for this activity is 2nd through 6th grade,
it is also appropriate for older children to make a list of people they can call on for help as well as making a safety plan.

Sometimes children benefit from taking self-empowering actions to defuse powerful feelings of anxiety, fear, worry, or anger. Because I work with children who have been traumatized by violence in their homes or neighborhoods, I am particularly conscious of ways to help them develop safety plans in case they find it necessary to seek help or assistance once therapy or intervention has ended. Part of the process of defusing in these cases should be directed to helping children feel empowered not only in terms of inner resources, but also practical ways for coping.

• Ask your child to put their hand on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper and spread their fingers. Then ask the child to trace their hand print. On the fingers of the hand print ask them to write the names and phone numbers of people your child can call for help should he or she need it.
• On another piece of paper help your child make a safety plan. Have your child write down all the things he or she can do to feel safe and happy.

Many years ago when I worked as a therapist in a shelter for battered women and their children I began to ask children to complete a “safety hand” to take with them when they left the facility. This activity can be creative and many children enjoy coloring the image; however, its purpose is to identify resources for children outside the shelter, people that could be called upon to help children if violence recurs or they feel unsafe in their home or neighborhood. Younger children may need help identifying phone numbers, but try to help the child list as many people as possible; list the people or phone numbers on the fingers of the hand. I often offer one of my business cards to attach to the palm of the hand so the child will have at least one resource and phone number available. You might also consider helping the child to develop a “safety plan”—how to run to a neighbor’s house or dial 911—in case of danger, violence, or stressful feelings.

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