Things You'll Need:
- Old cell phones (no longer in use is fine)
- Safety tips
- A friend
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Step 1
Teach young children to use the buddy system. By keeping a friend with them they are much less appealing to a would be kidnapper. It is one thing for a would be kidnapper to grab one child, but if a would be kidnapper would have to grab two, they have a higher risk of being caught so they are less likely to target two or more children.
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Step 2
When you upgrade your cell phone, keep your old phone if you are able to. give the old phone to the younger children. Keep it charged and show children how to charge it, use the camera and call 911.
Children love to play with cell phones. The advantage is that they can pretend to be talking on the phone when someone pulls up or comes near them. Often just pretending to talk on a phone is enough to frighten away a would be kidnapper. The kidnapper has no idea if the phone is really in use or not. This ploy often works well.
Children can also (providing the cell phone has camera capability) take a picture of the would be attacker. They can (providing the phone is kept charged) call 911 on the phone and tell police where they are and what is happening. Most would be kidnappers walk right on by a child with a cell phone. -
Step 3
Know your child's routes to and from a friends house, school and anywhere else your child goes. Teach your child to use the same route every time they go and explain why you need to know.
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Step 4
Set up a neighborhood watch program. Neighborhood watch programs provide an extra measure of safety for children when they are out and about. Whether the child is frightened and needs to run to a safe place or there is a suspicious person in the area neighborhood watch programs help to lower crime rates in our communities.
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Step 5
Remind children to call if they will be late. Better yet, have them call when they arrive at their friends house, and when they leave have them call you and let you know they are on their way.
This lessens the possibility of children not being missed by friends or family for a great length of time. If a child is late and backtracking through the route does not locate them, you have a better time frame to give police. -
Step 6
Always make a mental note of what your child is wearing when they leave the house. Hopefully you won't need to give this information to police, but if you do, you will have it.
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Step 7
Keep current pictures of your children, even if you use a digital camera and don't have a hard copy it is wise to update pictures monthly with younger children. A digital copy can be transferred to the entire nation in a matter of minutes.
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Step 8
Teach your children a code word if you send someone to pick them up. Change the code word frequently and remind children to use it if they call you and have an emergency. Code words can work both ways.
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Step 9
If children are playing at a city park or local play ground, teach them some code phrases to draw attention them if you happen to look away and a stranger is near.
One mom I know uses the code phrase, "Mommy, Look at me" and then the mom knows that something is not right. The mom will say something along the lines of "Lets get a picture of that" and strangers immediately walk away. While she may never know if the stranger is a would be kidnapper, she is reducing the chances of her child being kidnapped.
