Protecting Your Kids from Strangers in Your Neighborhood
Our children are the most prized treasures in our lives and the last thing any parent wants is for their child to be in harms way. Unfortunately the world has people in it that harm children. Child molesters and abductors look like everyday people. They can be a teacher, next door neighbor or mailman. They come in all ages, races and social standings. As a parent it is our job to teach our kids how to be safe and take measures to keep them safe. Telling your kids not to talk to adults they do not know is not enough anymore. They need know that anytime they are approached by an unfamiliar adult they should check with a parent or trusted adult immediately!
Often these predators will try and befriend a child by asking for help or offering something to child. Some examples are: Asking to help find a lost item or pet, offering reward money or for the very young ones candy or toys for assistance, saying they are good friends with mom or dad, acting like a police officer (children should only approach uniformed police officers, and/or marked police cars). This is another thing to keep in mind while it is nice to have your name on their jacket or backpack this can be very dangerous. A predator could call the child by name and the child that they know their parent and they are supposed to pick up. The child not thinking any was wrong because the person knew their name might go with them.
These predators wait for the right moment like when the child is alone. Children shouldn’t be outside by themselves even for short periods of time. If your child walks to and from school or the bus stop have him/her go with a group. Working together with other parents in your neighborhood or area and coming up with a plan for the kids to walk together is a good idea. Parents should encourage there child to use the buddy system when all possible. If there is Neighborhood Watch program in your community use it in the mornings and afternoons to help keep and extra eye on the kids. Also be weary of cars or other vehicles (such as a van) parked for a while this is often a means by which kidnappers can grab a child from the neighborhood. Children should never approach a vehicle. Abductors will also try and entice children to walk near their vehicles and then pull them inside. If your child see the same car parked (or following them) on their normal walking routes (to and from school) they should tell a trusted adults immediately! And the local police should be notified of strange activity.
Every parent wants to keep their child safe. In order to keep them safe in the world we live in today, we must make sure that our children know safety rules. Talk to them about strangers and how to stay safe. For more tips on how to talk to your kids go to http://www.mcgruff-safe-kids.com.
