The outside world can seem an intimidating place when you're only 13.

Teenagers in the 1990s may exude an air of supreme confidence compared to their counterparts of years gone by but underneath they can still feel vulnerable.

Many children are routinely left on their own at home because of their parents' other commitments or are expected to help with babysitting. And it can be unnerving to receive unexpected phone calls or have strangers calling at the door.

But that could soon change thanks to a pioneering personal safety scheme being organised with the help of a team from Bradford.

Julie Williamson, head of year 9 at Rhodesway School in Allerton, has recently returned from a conference in Spain where she and colleagues thrashed out plans for the project called Streetwise.

Bradford has been specially chosen as one of five European cities to take part in the initiative, which is designed to help give 13 and 14 year-olds a better awareness of personal safety.

"The objectives are to increase the awareness of personal safety in pupils, reduce the number of assaults reduce fear and threat and improve their self-esteem and social skills," said Mrs Williamson.

"A lot of children are left alone at home to babysit. What do you do when somebody comes to the door or you get a disturbing phone call?

"We also live in a world of plastic credit cards and they need to know that when they are using a hole in the wall cash machine they should be aware of any other people who are around."

She and a team from Bradford Council's education department are now putting together a questionnaire on safety in the home to help prepare a manual on personal safety designed for teaches.

It is hoped that the Streetwise pack will eventually be available to all schools.

Work on different aspects of safety is being carried in the other participating cities - Salamanca, Antwerp, Marseilles and Madrid. They are looking at part-time working, being safe in the school, extortion and bullying and going out.

A second meeting will be held in Salamanca in April and Mrs Williamson hopes representatives from the other cities will also be able to visit Bradford at a later date as part of the project, which is funded by the European Union for three years.

Mrs Williamson became involved because she previously helped to set up personal safety courses for sixth-formers at Rhodesway.

"I felt there was something missing in the transition between school and going to the workplace or going to college," she said.

"Students needed to be more aware of the outside world because they're very cushioned in school. You go to university and lots of our students have never been away from home before, except on family holidays and possibly not even then.

"Safety hasn't really been an issue in the past. The idea of this project is to make people more aware of their own safety. Some students have never even considered some of the things that we discuss.

"If you're aware of your own personal safety then hopefully it will put you in a better position to develop more self-confidence. I think it's a very good enrichment activity."

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