| The Question | | | | there. Can you crawl under the fence and get him?" |
| In today's society, we try to protect our children by | | | | He pointed to a section of the garden where some |
| teaching them about 'stranger danger.' In particular, it is | | | | plants were growing close to the house. As he spoke, |
| often emphasized never to follow a stranger, no | | | | he fidgeted with the bottom of the fence, as if trying to |
| matter how friendly they may appear. Despite this | | | | make room for me to crawl under it. "Here kitty, kitty," |
| attempt to educate children, why is it that many | | | | he called. |
| strangers are able to lure them away? Is there an | | | | As I drew closer, he suddenly changed his mind and |
| effective method to stop child molesters? | | | | said, "Oh no, he's not here. I think he ran down the |
| | | | alley." I was somewhat relieved, because I thought I |
| Oftentimes, a stranger is very cunning and preys on | | | | would cut myself as I wiggled under the narrow, sharp |
| the child's innocence and eagerness to help someone | | | | fence. I had nothing to protect my legs or arms. I was |
| in need. I myself, as a child, was lured by a stranger | | | | wearing a white, short-sleeved, cotton blouse that |
| early one Sunday morning. That day, at age nine, I | | | | buttoned in the front, a pair of old, faded red shorts, |
| became one of the many rape victims that are so | | | | and a pair of worn tennis shoes. |
| prevalent in our society today. At the time, I was | | | | He now looked back in the direction from which we |
| throwing papers on a route I worked with my sister. | | | | had just traveled. He stood and started moving back |
| The following is an account of that event: | | | | towards Prescott, coaxing me to follow. He was out in |
| From out of nowhere, a man approached as soon as | | | | front of me, but he periodically looked over his shoulder |
| Mary had disappeared. | | | | to make sure I was following him. He crossed Prescott |
| "Have you seen a cat?" he asked. | | | | and advanced into the alley on the other side of the |
| "No," I quickly replied. | | | | street, moving towards Hawthorne Avenue. It was at |
| "Could you help me find my cat?" | | | | this point that I became hesitant. "I think my sister's |
| "Well, I must finish my route, and I need to tell my sister | | | | going to get mad at me. I better get back," I said as |
| where I'm going," I told him. | | | | we trekked along. |
| "It'll only take a few minutes. She won't even know you | | | | "Oh, I saw him run right up here, and I know we can |
| are gone." | | | | find him quickly," he said as he pointed straight ahead. |
| I thought for a second, realizing he was probably right, | | | | He seemed to hoof it much faster now. As he paced |
| and besides, my parents taught me to help others. I did | | | | along, I fell behind, vacillating about whether to abandon |
| not even question how his cat got loose. As far as I | | | | the search. We crossed Hawthorne Avenue. All I could |
| was concerned, he was out so early in the morning, | | | | think about was getting back to Mary. We had been |
| amid the darkness, because he was looking for his cat | | | | gone more than a few moments. How long could this |
| that had run away. | | | | take? |
| I remember wondering at the time whether I had seen | | | | A Warning from Inside |
| him before. He looked somewhat familiar. Anyway, I | | | | As you read my account of walking with the man |
| believed he was one of my customers, and so I | | | | who later raped me, did you notice that I had become |
| followed him to assist him in locating his cat. After all, | | | | hesitant and alarmed at one point? What is not |
| he said we would just be a minute. | | | | revealed above is that I was actually 'unnerved' even |
| When the man first came up to me, I had been | | | | before the man approached me. That little voice inside |
| standing next to our basket, grabbing some papers. I | | | | of me had been telling me that there was danger. |
| left the basket in the street, assuming Mary would stroll | | | | However, I did not recognize the voice. |
| out any minute to continue, and I would be back, in just | | | | A Possible Effective Danger Safety Training Method |
| a second, to join her. I walked with the man toward | | | | for Children to Avoid 'Stranger Danger' |
| Prescott Avenue, where we turned right and | | | | I have since discovered that the voice was my intuition: |
| proceeded toward Holland Avenue, which was one | | | | the spirit of God within me. Since God is everywhere, |
| block over in the opposite direction from Lemmon | | | | that spirit is within each of you and can be accessed |
| Avenue. However, we did not go that far. | | | | at any time. Why is it that I did not recognize the |
| He told me to follow him into the alley between | | | | voice? The answer lies in the fact that I was never |
| Bowser and Holland. It was twilight now, and the alley | | | | trained to listen to my gut instincts. Had I listened to that |
| had an eerie feel to it. It was not peculiar for me to | | | | voice, I may have never been raped. |
| enter the alley; Mary and I often trekked through the | | | | It is important to teach our children to avoid strangers. |
| alley on our way to the local 7-Eleven. Several houses | | | | However, as statistics have shown, that is not enough: |
| down, we came to a dwelling that looked recognizable. | | | | children are still being lured away. When we teach |
| Yes, I thought; we threw papers to this house. I had | | | | children to avoid strangers, oftentimes they are simply |
| never seen the back of the house though. | | | | frightened by everyone. However, if another approach |
| There was a large vegetable garden growing in the | | | | is taken, this can be avoided. Might a solution lie in the |
| yard. The vegetables came right up to a flimsy | | | | knowledge that each of us is already equipped with |
| chicken-wire fence. Standing there, I wondered if this | | | | our own 'radar detector' to guide us away from |
| guy was the son of the lady who lived there. | | | | danger? Perhaps, the most effective tool in protecting |
| Whenever we went collecting, we never got a good | | | | our children is teaching them how to enhance their |
| look at him. Still, I was not sure. | | | | own innate intuition, and then LISTEN to the spirit and |
| "My cat's in the vegetable garden. I saw him over | | | | ACT. |