SAFETY BEARS STORY GUIDE

Safety Bear’s Story

1) Once there was a Bear Family, the Brown Bear Family, with a big fuzzy

Daddy, a warm fuzzy Mommy and a happy, cuddly Betty Bear. They were such a happy family and Betty feels so safe with her fuzzy Mommy and Daddy.

*Look at this picture. How can you tell they are happy? (Safe makes us happy!)

2) One day, Daddy Bear picked up Betty and sat her on his lap. Mother

Bear settled in close by while Daddy told them a Bear story. Betty smiled at Mommy and snuggled in close to Daddy’s soft, furry coat and enjoyed the good touch of being close.

*Look how Daddy has his arm around Betty’s shoulder (almost like a hug). This is what Safety Bear calls a good touch. How does this make Betty feel? (Happy)

3) As the story ended, there was a knock at the front door. Daddy Bear opened it and roared a big, friendly “Hello” to someone standing there.

He said to Betty, “you remember our friend Unbearable Bear.”

4) Betty wasn’t quite sure if she remembered Unbearable Bear. Betty slowly peeked out from behind Mommy’s big skirt.

5) Unbearable Bear gave Betty a huge smile.

6) Then Betty remembered that he was their friend. Then she smiled back.

7) Betty took Unbearable Bear over to play with some of her toys. While they were playing, Mommy Bear said, “Daddy and I are going for a short walk.” Betty didn’t mind though. She and Unbearable Bear were having such a good time playing with one of her games.

8) After Mommy and Daddy left, Betty and Unbearable Bear were all alone.

Unbearable Bear said “I have an idea for a new game we can play.”

9) He pulled Betty close to him and picked up her dress. Betty tried to pull her dress back down, but before she knew it, he was touching her on the private parts of her body for no good reason

* Do you see where Unbearable Bear has his hand? * How does this make Betty feel? How can you tell? * Look at her dog, does he look scared and confused?

THIS IS WHAT SAFETY BEAR CALLS A “Uh Oh TOUCH”. This does not make

Betty feel safe.

10)“Why is he doing this?” Betty wondered. There didn’t seem to be any good reason for him to touch her this way. He wasn’t helping her to take a bath or change her clothes to go out to play. He wasn’t a doctor giving her a check-up.

11)Then Unbearable Bear whispered that she must not tell her Mommy and

Daddy about this secret game they had been playing. They would not like it. Betty felt confused and scared because she did not like keeping secrets from Mommy and Daddy.

12)Betty did not feel warm and safe. She ran to her room and held tight to her favorite bear doll until she fell asleep.

13)The next day, Betty went to school. She had so many friends there and she liked the things they did together, but today, Betty didn’t feel like playing. She just sat in her seat. One big tear welled up and slowly rolled down her furry cheek.

* Why does Betty feel so sad at school? (if the group needs a prompt ask the following: “What do you think Betty is remembering?”) * What happened to her? (Go back to slide showing Unbearable Bear giving Betty Bear an uh oh touch. This touch is not safe.)

14)Betty’s teacher saw that she looked sad and asked her to come over to find out why she was crying. Betty loves Ms. Friendly, her teacher, but she felt afraid to tell her about Unbearable Bear’s secret game. Ms.

Friendly smiled and gave Betty a soft hug, a safe touch. She said, “Betty, if you have a problem or a secret that is making you feel hurt or sad, you could tell it to me and maybe together we can make it better.”

15)Betty told Ms. Friendly about the game Unbearable Bear played with her and how scared she felt when he gave her touch that was not safe. Betty told Ms Friendly how he told her to keep it a secret from Mommy and

Daddy. Ms. Friendly listened very carefully. She told Betty that whenever ANYONE touches you on the private parts of your body for no good reason, this is not safe and it is wrong for someone to do.

16)Ms. Friendly told Betty that it wasn’t her fault and that she was very glad

Betty was telling about the secret game. Betty began to feel better. She wiped away her tears and ran over to play with some of her friends.

17)That afternoon when Betty was waiting to be picked up, Mommy and

Daddy Bear both talked to Ms. Friendly, the teacher. Ms. Friendly told them what happened to Betty and that she was feeling confused and sad.

They talked quietly for a little while.

18)Then Mommy Bear said “I’m so sorry this happened to Betty, but I’m glad she knows it was not her fault and it was good for Betty to tell someone. It is not safe for anyone to touch Betty on the private parts of her body for no good reason.

19)Daddy Bear nodded and said that he was proud Betty was brave enough to tell Ms. Friendly because it is never good to keep scary secrets from

Mommy and Daddy and now they can all help with this problem.

20)Mommy and Daddy came over and picked up Betty in their warm, fuzzy arms and gave her a hug, a safe touch. They told her that most bears don’t act like Unbearable Bear did with her, but if they do it is not safe and it is wrong for them to do. She did what was right by telling her teacher. They told her that if this ever happened again, or if any other scary thing happens, she could always tell her Mommy and Daddy.

Betty smiled, she felt safe now and it was nice to know she had done what was right.

21)Betty Bear reached up and took Mommy and Daddy’s hand and they started off through the woods towards home. They looked for trees with beehives and honey and they watched the squirrels playing tag together.

22)“These are beautiful woods we live in,” said Mommy. They were such a happy family and Betty felt so safe with her fuzzy Mommy and Daddy.

* How does Betty look in this picture? (Safe and happy)

Follow-up questions to Safety Bear

1. What happened to Betty Bear?

- Unbearable Bear touched her on the private parts of her body for no good reason. This is not safe.

2. Could this happen to a human child?

- Yes

3. Could this happen to a boy?

- Yes

4. How did uh oh touch make Betty feel?

- Sad, confused, scared, mad, unhappy, unsafe

5. Was this a good secret Unbearable Bear told Betty to keep?

- No

6. What did Betty do about her feelings and the uh oh touch?

- She told her teacher.

7. What would you do if someone gave you a uh oh touch?

- Say “NO,” “GO AWAY,” “TELL” an adult

A. Practice saying “NO” 1. serious voice 2. serious face 3. hands out

B. Show students the coloring page and handout for home. C. Encourage students to tell their parents the story of Betty Bear. D. Under the teacher’s directions, the students may come up one by one to give Safety Bear a good touch.