'We use a secret code for stranger danger and a tracker app': This mother protects her kids using a DIY safety plan

Parents worry about their children’s safety every day, but for Diane, a healthcare worker and mother of a teenage son, that worry has inspired action. She has developed a DIY safety plan that combines technology, communication, and community support to protect her children in Victoria.

Diane Pajarillo, a Filipina nurse and mother of three, has created a DIY safety plan to ensure her children stay safe, both at home and out in the community. Image: supplied

Key Points

• Data from Crime Statistic Agency reveals that Victoria has recently seen worrying crime incidents. Cases, such as the Cobblebank stabbing where two boys were killed, have heightened parental anxiety.
• Diane Pajarillo teaches her children about stranger danger, checks who they interact with online, and ensures that an adult supervises activities whenever possible.
• Australia’s youth justice laws are set individually by each state and territory, including rules on the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Children can be held legally responsible at 12 years for serious offenses like murder, intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, and sexual assault.

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