For parents
- Teach youngsters to speak and write their name, address, phone number and parents' names as soon as possible, and show them how to use 911.
- Show children what to do if a stranger approaches or an adult tries to get them to do things that make them uncomfortable. Use pictures, songs, re-enactments and practice runs - anything to help make the message memorable so a child can recall that lesson if a situation calls for it.
- Teach children that it is OK to refuse to say no to an adult they do not know well. Enroll yourself and your child in a kid safety program or find online guidelines by which you can teach them safety precautions.
Advice for kids
- Don't go anywhere alone, and avoid deserted lots and unpopulated areas.
- Never attempt to assist or go with a stranger, even if they ask for "help." Adults who legitimately need assistance don't ask children - they ask other grownups.
- If a stranger, or someone you don't know well, approaches you in a threatening manner, yell, "This person is trying to take me away," or "This person is not my mother/father" as loudly as possible.
Abductions - kid safety program advice
- Kick, scream, bite - anything to avoid being placed inside a car and driven away from home or school.
- If pulled into a stranger's car, jump out at the nearest stop. If it's not immediately possible to exit the car, a child can jump to the back seat until it is possible to get out of the car.
- A child should be taught how to kick out tail lights or open the trunk in the event that he or she is placed in the truck of a vehicle (or gets accidentally locked inside during curious play).
Most school districts include some sort of age-appropriate kid safety program as part of each grade-level's regular curriculum. But, if you wish to get more personally involved in your child's safety and further put your mind at ease, you can supplement school programs with your own, one-on-one family training.