RUN, HIDE, TELL.

These are the three key messages that the Metropolitan police wants to convey to young people in their new ACT for Youth campaign, that aims to help young people know what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. RUN if you can, HIDE if you can’t, and TELL the police once it is safe to do so.

2017 has witnessed many terrorist attacks from Westminster to Manchester to Parsons Green, where young people have been caught up in the terror. These alarming events have built up a certain level of apprehension amongst young people, as reported by the NSPCC, having recorded that more than 300 young people called their helpline because they were anxious about terrorism.

It was these events, especially after the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, combined with this heightened anxiousness, that fuelled the Counter Terrorism Policing to come up with a simple campaign that would effectively educate and reassure young people on how to respond to such attacks. Even though young people still want to have fun in their daily lives, it is crucial that they all understand what to do in these attacks and that they should prioritise their safety first.

During the Parsons Green bombing, the Met Police found that instead of fleeing the devastating scene, people were returning to the tube carriage to film the aftermath, then posting it on social media - which is definitely not the best way to keep safe.

“The main message to young people is that it is very unlikely that you will get caught up in a terrorist attack,” said the Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC), Lucy D’Orsi. “However, if you are, the three simple messages are RUN, HIDE, and TELL.”

DAC D’Orsi went on to say, “last year people were prioritising filming at some of the incidents, hoping to help us in terms of footage as to what’s taken place. But what I would say, is that people’s own individual safety has got to come first.”

With social media playing such a huge part in young people’s lives, the Counter Terrorism Policing partnered up with News UK to help push the ACT for Youth campaign out to everyone. They have promoted the campaign in the The Sun’s popular Snapchat news feature, that many young people can access.

Celebrities, like adventurer Bear Grylls, footballer Jamie Vardy and taekwondo Olympic champion, Jade Jones, have been using their status and social media as a platform to amplify this message and allow the ACT for Youth scheme to access more young people. These famous ambassadors even use a three fingered emoji feature to represent RUN, HIDE, TELL.

To broaden this reach, the Metropolitan Police, working in partnership with the Education Authority, are encouraging schools to teach ACT for Youth during PSHE lessons, with the hope that their campaign will eventually be permanently embedded into the national curriculum. 11- 16 year olds will be taught how to identify and respond to suspicious behaviour and react to firearm attacks. The aim is to create a safe environment where young people can talk about these issues, which they may not feel comfortable discussing at home.

The RUN, HIDE, TELL message is supported by St. Johns Ambulance’s TREAT, which they hope to filter into schools shortly after the initial program has been taught in the classrooms. TREAT has been designed to give 11 to 16 year olds basic first aid skills that can be used whilst they HIDE. St Johns Ambulance created this so that young people can help the injured survive for a longer period of time before medical assistance arrives on the scene.

It is extremely important to remember that it is unlikely that young people will ever find themselves caught up in a terrorist attack. They cannot stop living their normal lives and be completely paranoid every time they step out of the house. However it is important to live with the useful knowledge on how to respond if they ever find themselves in such a disastrous event. Following ACT for youth’s simple RUN,HIDE, TELL is a way for young people to be just a little bit safer.