'Don't talk to strangers' was the message from the curly haired lad and his cat Charley in the public information films.

It was a straightforward message and it worked for a generation.

Don't play with matches, don't go off with strangers, don't play with teapots... I can remember them now with clarity – and that's without repeatedly seeing them on those dreadful Channel 4 list shows.

Today it isn't quite so straightforward and spreading the public safety message can be tricky.

This week is Child Safety Week, a week of events to introduce children to potential safety risks and remind parents of their own responsibilities in getting the message across.

Unlike back in the '70s when danger was personified by a bloke in the park asking if you wanted to see some puppies, things have moved on.

The internet, as all parents know, can be as dangerous as it is exciting for our children.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

We're aware there's a big, bad world out there but are our children? And moreover, what are we doing to protect them?

New research carried out for Child Safety Week seems to suggest we're doing very little.

Although all parents who were surveyed in the build up to Child Awareness Week said they warned their children about strangers, less than half thought to extend that warning to the internet.

It seems we're still driving home the same fluffy Charley message we received as kids.

The 'Don't talk to strangers' message is a difficult one in itself, particularly when it comes to chatrooms and social networking sites.

It's all too easy to make friends and get swept along in a false sense of security without knowing who you're really talking to. We've all seen the headlines.

Then of course there's getting your kids to tell you who they've talked to or what they've talked about.

Even if I tried to read a 15-year-old's instant messaging I'd be pushed. It's written in an abbreviated text speak which bears more relation to shorthand than English and as a journalist it still leaves me baffled.

Younger kids don't have it any easier. My four-year-old was introduced to 'stranger danger' a few weeks ago but it's a concept she's struggling to grasp.

Walking down the street I say a friendly hello to neighbours I know by sight.

"Why are you talking to strangers?" she asks plainly. It leaves me fumbling for an explanation.

A woman, passing the time of day, makes conversation in the bank or at the supermarket checkouts and again I'm admonished.

"Don't talk to strangers," the little one reminds me.

How do you get the right balance between frightening your kids and teaching them to be wary of strangers.

I want her to know that danger exists but I don't want to give her nightmares.

Charley struck a chord with a whole generation because, even though tame, it got the delicate balance just right. The films were cute but direct.

Perhaps it's time we brought them back.


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