Protecting your children from Kidnappig

Odds are that as a parent, you have already talked to your child about “stranger danger” before. It is a nightmare of any parent: your child has gone missing. Talking to your child about the dangers of kidnapping are very important, and you might think that you have already done a sufficient job at doing so, but is your child really ready? If you asked the average kid about stranger danger, they would probably reply with something similar to “Do not talk to stranger.” Is that rhetoric really enough? According to this social experiment, 7 out of 10 children in a park were willing to walk off with a complete stranger to “go see more puppies.” Part of the reason that so many kids were willing to walk off with the man was because of their perception of the word “stranger.” Kids know that they are not supposed to go alone with a stranger, but in their mind, a stranger is a scary, disheveled man with a hat, sunglasses, and a long coat on who offers them candy out of a white van. Raising kids to be cautious of anybody they meet while still being respectful can be tough. You don’t want to scare them out of any future conversation with a stranger, but you also don’t want them to be comfortable walking off with anyone. Kidnappers are very sneaky. Obviously, they are not going to approach your child and act like they are going to kidnap them. If every kidnapper told people who they are, they wouldn’t be successful! It is tough to instill a sense of awareness in your child without scaring them. Your child should not live in fear of being kidnapped constantly! Finding the balance of caution and no fear is very tough in this conversation. Just instill in their head that if they act smart and are cautious, they should be fine being in public. The other topic you should include in this conversation is the main thing that makes children susceptible to kidnapping. Staying away from home drastically increases the likelihood that your child is kidnapped. You should make sure that your child understands that running away is never a good option for problems at home. No matter how mad they may be at you, or how wrong that they think you are in an argument, being at home is always the safest option. Talking to your child about kidnapping can be tough, but it is necessary and will keep your child safe!