How to Teach Your Child to Recognize Pedophiles and Other Unsafe Individuals

Pedophiles are deadly and more common in our communities than we realize. It's important to know how to recognize and report them, but more importantly it's important to teach your children about them.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Common sense and knowledge.

1. Teach your child about self protection
   • It’s okay to run away.
   • It’s okay to yell, “Help!”, “I don’t know this person”, “I’m being taken”, “Fire” and any other phrases they can come up with in order to get away or draw attention.

2. Teach your child that it’s okay to hurt or try to hurt the abductor if they’re able. Regardless, if doing so puts their own person in harm. Fight back no matter the consequences.

3. Role-play with your child. This gives the child some idea of handling inappropriate situations and what is an inappropriate situation.

4. It’s important for children to understand anyone can be a pedophile; just not “likely suspects” and “scary looking people”.
   
   Sex offenders come in all shapes, sexes, ages, sizes, colors, backgrounds. They can be priest, teachers, family members, friends, strangers and prominent persons in the community.
   
   In your teachings, it’s important as a parent not to stereotype pedophiles. Stereotyping is a pedophile’s greatest weapon.

5. Teach your child to not worry about your safety. Teach them you’re able to care for yourself. That it’s their safety you’re worried about. Report any inappropriate incident regardless of the threats of harm to the child's friends or family.
   
   Teach the child to be primarily concerned about their own safety.

6. Find community classes that teach families about pedophiles and their habits. Take classes with your child as a family.

7. Take an interest in all persons and families in your child’s life. Your child’s friends and families of should also be yours.

8. Learn how to report pedophiles, sex offenders and suspicious persons.

9. Teach your child it’s okay to report incidents, even if in the end it was a genuine mistake or misunderstanding.

10. Encourage your child to speak openly without fear to you and other trusted adults.

11. Update and reinforce lessons regularly. Pedophiles stay up on their game, so should your family.

Resources

• How to know if a sex offender lives in your neighborhood

[sammyd]

on 11/13/2009 Thanks for the advice. Good need to know information.