How to Teach Children to Guard Against Kidnapping

As a parent, you want to protect your children from danger, especially the danger of kidnapping. However, as your children get older and become more independent, it is impossible for you to watch them all the time. This is why it is so important for you to teach your children how to stay safe from strangers who want to hurt them. The following tips can help you do this.

Instructions

1. Use everyday experiences to teach your children about keeping themselves safe. Tell your children that a stranger is someone they do not know, and they should never go anywhere with such a person, even if he or she seems really nice. As you are out and about with your children, ask them to identify strangers they can trust if they are ever in danger; for example, police officers, firefighters, teachers and librarians. Point out places your children can run to if they need help--places like stores, restaurants, homes or friends or family members, libraries, community centers or your local police station.

2. At home, role-play situations where children are approached by strangers. For example, a kidnapper might ask a child for directions or to help look for a lost pet. Tell your children to keep a safe distance if they are approached by a stranger, to run away if the stranger gets too close, and to yell and scream if a stranger won't leave them alone or tries to grab them. Pretend you or another adult is the potential kidnapper and have your children practice responding.

3. Teach your children that it is okay for them to kick and hit if a stranger grabs them. Tell them to claw at the stranger's eyes, ears, nose, or mouth.

4. Always require your children to walk or play with a buddy or in a group. Encourage other parents in your neighborhood to have their children do the same thing. Teach the children to look out for each other and stay together.

5. Be sure your children know they should never, under any circumstances, get in a car with a stranger, even if the stranger knows their names. Some families have a secret word known only to family members and trusted friends. If a stranger knows a child's name but not the secret word, the child should not go with the stranger. If you use this method, change the word often. If possible, always tell your children if someone they do not know well will be picking them up from somewhere.

6. Encourage your children to trust their instincts. If something feels weird about the situation, they should run away.

Tips & Warnings

• Teaching your children about being safe is a process that is most effective if it is repeated and modeled regularly. Don't expect all the lessons to sink in at once. Instead, take advantage of teaching moments as you are out and about with your children or watching television together.

• Libraries, police stations and other local organizations often offer additional resources for teaching your children to be safe from strangers. Be sure to see what your community has to offer.

• Alert your children to the dangers of kidnapping without scaring them. Explain calmly that there are bad people but that your children do not need to always be afraid. Instead, they should practice protecting themselves so they know what to do if they encounter a bad person.