Safety Tips for Your Child to Prevent Being Abducted

In light of all the recent kidnappings being displayed on the news. I decided to have a talk with my son about strangers and how some people were mean in this world and would hurt little children. I have had this talk with him many times but with the way the world has become, I want him to be able to protect himself and fight back should he ever find himself in this awful situation.

Parents have you sat your child down and talked to them about strangers and kidnapping? Have you talked to them on ways to defend themselves should they ever, God forbid, become the target of some person out to harm your child. For many parent's this is a scary notion, one that I know I think about often. There are ways, however, that your child can make it hard on an abductor, should they ever find themselves being kidnapped.

One thing that your child can do to prevent from being picked up is to be aware of their surroundings. Be aware if anyone is following to close or looks suspicious. If a stranger approaches your child make sure they know to never stand in reaching distance of the stranger. This makes it harder for the abductor to be able to grab your child.

A stranger looking to abduct a child may use the "emergency" routine to panic your child into going with them. Talk with your child about this. Let them know that in the event of an emergency that you will have a family member or friend that they know, come pick them up. Make it clear that it will NEVER be someone they do not know. Also tell them that if a stranger tries luring them by using a family emergency, to run away and find help.

In many cases of child abduction, children may have been outside, riding their bikes. Tell your child that if they are ever grabbed by a stranger while on their bike to use that bike as protection. Make it clear to your child to hold on to the handlebars and to not let go. It will make it harder for a kidnapper to get a child, as well as a bike into the car at the same time. This will also draw attention to the abductor. During this attempt tell your child to yell. This will also draw attention to the situation. Make sure they know to run to safety and to call 911. Every child needs to know their home phone number and street address, or any cell numbers that may be important.

If you aren't sure that your child understands these safety tips then role-play a few of them. This will give your child a better understanding of what you're talking about. Parenting is hard enough without worrying at all times about your child's safety. Sharing these few tips can help them be prepared in case they ever find themselves in this scary situation.