DA’s awareness campaign aims to keep kids, teens safe this summer

With warmer weather just around the corner, Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan has launched a campaign raising awareness for summertime child safety. 

Travelers on Interstate 95 this summer will see billboards with time safety reminders involving hot weather hazards. 

One billboard focuses on water safety, reminding drivers that “Kids Don’t Float” and “Supervision Saves Lives” — reinforcing the message that drownings happen each year and constant adult supervision is critical. Neurodivergent children are disproportionately more likely to drown than neurotypical children. The water safety campaign follows the creation by the DA’s office of a new adaptive swim program that provides specialized training and support for neurodivergent children. 

Another billboard urges parents and guardians to check the backseat of their cars in the summertime, as high car temperatures put children at serious risk of heat stroke and death. Ryan has filed a bill this legislative session that would address cases of negligently leaving a child in a car resulting in serious bodily injury. This bill would permit a law enforcement officer or firefighter, or a civilian under certain circumstances, to remove a child from a vehicle when the child is left in dangerous conditions.

A third billboard focuses on the dangers of juvenile sexting. The campaign warns teens and their families of the potential consequences of sexting and provides tips on how teens can protect themselves online. The campaign follows the official launch of the DA office’s new free online training for youth entitled Cyber-Education: The Dangers of Sexting, the Law and Resources for Teenagers and Young Adults.

“We are always seeking innovative ways to engage parents and the broader community with critical reminders about the hazards highlighted in this campaign — namely water safety, the danger of hot cars and sexting,” Ryan said in a press release announcing the campaign. “I hope that these billboards, seen by thousands of drivers, make a real difference and help us to advance our mission of protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens, our children.”

The awareness campaign and the cyber education program are funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance.