5 Ways To Keep Your Children Safe from abductions

With all the stories of recent child abductions in the news, many parents wonder if their child knows what to do in a dangerous situation. Below are 5 ways you can help keep your child safe.

1. Talk to your child about inappropriate incidents or kidnappings in the news and ask their opinions. It is important that your child understands what dangerous situations are like so they can learn how to protect themselves. Make sure to present these stories in a way that does not cause them unnecessary fear but alerts them about possible dangers.
2. Make sure your child knows how to find or contact you at all times and vice versa. It is important that your child knows your name, phone number, and address so that even when they are not with you, they can contact you if need be. In addition, have a few emergency contacts such as friends or family members that your child knows and can call if you are not available. It is also important to know how to find or contact your child at all times. Make sure you have numbers of school teachers, friend’s parents, or anyone else that may be with your child while they are away from you. Having a family “password” is a great way to help children know when it is safe to go with someone if plans have changed. Each family member knows the password and they only go with someone if they can give them the password.
3. Instruct your child on the importance of staying with groups when they are waiting for the bus, on the playground, or any time they are not with you. They need to understand the danger of wandering off. Predators watch for this and that is when they approach kids.
4. Have your child practice their most ear-splitting scream and other emergency phrases. These phrases can be things like “Help! Help!” or “Danger! Danger!” or “You aren’t my mom/dad!” They need to know how to get people’s attention and not be afraid to use their voice if they are put in any danger. My personal favorite is “he has a gun!” Whether he has on or not people will take notice.
5. Consistently practice/reinforce safety tips with your children. This is not something you have one discussion about. Constant practice is important so that they do not freeze up when they suddenly find themselves in a dangerous situation. As the child grows up, it is important to give them appropriate tips and advice on how to stay out of danger.