EVERYONE has the right to say no if they feel uncomfortable.
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That was the message to come out of a Bravehearts visit to St Joseph's Public School in Port Macquarie on Tuesday and there's little doubt Ditto, the lion cub mascot, was the star of the show.
Education facilitator Nina Juhl said it was important to get a serious message across about children's safety through a show which focussed on fun and laughter.
"It's not a topic a lot of people are comfortable talking about, so the best way to discuss it is through laughter," she said.
Throughout the 40-minute presentation students played a "yes/no" game where they were asked about situations which made them feel safe or unsafe.
They learnt it was okay to say no and if there was any time where they felt unsafe they should run and tell someone they could trust.
"We've had children come to us after some of our shows some of the things we've spoken about and it's such an honour to have a child come forward, do something like that and disclose that sort of information," Ms Juhl said.
"It's really brave of them and it's the first step for us to do something and tell them that someone can help."
Ms Juhl said local schools had embraced the program with annual visits to the Hastings making an appearance on their calendar.
"The schools around Port Macquarie have been great to us, we've been booked in every year to keep coming back. The support has been great," she said.
"We regularly see children in the playground saying 'no' to other kids and to see that shows us they're taking in what we're telling them."