| Unfortunately the reality is, you can't | | | | who you allowed them to go with in the first |
| always be with your child. Occasionally your | | | | place. Occasionally, abductors or child |
| child is left in the care and supervision of | | | | abduction schemes will involve a "hand off" |
| other adults. As horrible as it is to | | | | of the child, after the child has been |
| imagine, the fact is, most child abductions | | | | allowed to go with someone who is close and |
| occur by close family friends and/or other | | | | familiar to the family. |
| adults that the child is already familiar | | | | |
| with. However, here are a few things you can | | | | Your child should always ask permission to |
| teach your child that will empower them with | | | | leave the yard or to go to a neighbors house. |
| the awareness they need to help keep them | | | | Older children should phone home to tell you |
| safe...even when you can't be there. | | | | where they are, especially if they change |
| | | | locations. |
| Let's begin... | | | | |
| | | | Your child should NEVER hitch hike! If your |
| There are "flags" that you can teach your | | | | child calls and needs you pick them up, or |
| child to be aware of, that seem to occur on a | | | | needs a ride to go to another location. Stop |
| consistent bases with child abductions. One | | | | what your doing and take them! They could |
| of those "flags" is that predators or would | | | | have made a worse decision. They could be |
| be predators often will test their potential | | | | avoiding getting in a car with a drunk |
| victims. They will try and see how a child | | | | driver, or avoiding one of the dangers you |
| will react to seeming innocent situations. | | | | taught them about. Give them the ride, it's |
| They often do this by seeing if the child can | | | | easier than dealing with the stress and |
| "keep a secret." | | | | emotional drain of having a missing child. Or |
| | | | even worse yet, identifying your childs body. |
| Your child should know to ALWAYS tell you if | | | | |
| someone has asked them or wants them to keep | | | | Teach your child to be home before dark. They |
| a "secret" | | | | may give you a hard time, but they will |
| | | | surely thank you later in life. And if they |
| That no one should ever, ever touch or | | | | find themselves "late," to stay away from |
| attempt to touch them in ANY part of their | | | | dark or abandoned places. |
| body covered by a bathing suit. And that they | | | | |
| should never touch anyone in these areas | | | | And finally, teach your child to To avoid |
| either. Explain to them that the body is | | | | adults who are waiting around a playground - |
| special and private. | | | | particularly an adult who wants to play with |
| | | | them and their friends. |
| To ask anyone who drives him anywhere, not to | | | | |
| leave him alone in the car-but if he is alone | | | | I hope you have found this 3 part series |
| in a car, to put up the windows, leaving a | | | | "Child Safety and Child Protection: Easy |
| "finger" space between the window glass and | | | | Steps You Can Take" usefull. The information |
| the rim, and to lock the doors and stay near | | | | you have been provided was compiled by |
| the car horn. If a stranger approaches the | | | | multiple missing child agencies from all over |
| car, he should blow the horn until help | | | | the United States. These are the |
| arrives. | | | | investigators on the front lines of the more |
| | | | than 1.4 Million missing child cases that are |
| That she has the right to say NO to anyone | | | | reported every single year. |
| who tries to take her somewhere, touches her, | | | | |
| or makes her feel uncomfortable in any way. | | | | Use the information I have provided for you |
| | | | and don't take your childs' safety lightly. |
| If anyone tries to take them away to yell, | | | | Practice these child safety and child |
| "This is NOT my parent!" And keep yelling, | | | | protection techniques. It's important we all |
| even kicking and screaming. But ALWAYS use | | | | do our part to keeping the children of the |
| the words "This is not my parent!" | | | | world safe, and out of danger, today, |
| | | | tomarrow, and everyday for the rest of their |
| To never accept a ride with anyone else than | | | | lives. |