Child safety Tips
Children are precious and we need to make sure that our children know what to do in dangerous
situations. Here are some safety tips for your children.
Make sure your child can recite their full address and their phone number, including area code.
Teach your children how to dial 911 explain the importance of calling 911. Go over what a 911 operator
will ask, such as, what, where, why, when, and how. You can even pretend to make a few calls to help
them feel more comfortable with this.
If your child gets separated from you in a mall or store, teach your child to go to the help or information
desk, or approach a security officer to get help in finding you again.
It is important that your child understands that if grabbed by a stranger, they don't just cry and scream.
If your child does scream and cry, it could easily be diffused by the would-be abductor, who simply says
in a loud voice, "When you get home, you're in big trouble". When overheard by other people, it
appears that someone is scolding their child who now appears not to need help. This allows the
stranger to walk off with your child in broad daylight and in front of witnesses. Teach your child to
scream as loudly as he/she can; " Help, help, this is not my parent!" This will alert people in the area to
come to your child's assistance.
CODE WORD Most children who are abducted are taken by someone they know. Telling your child to
stay away from strangers is not enough. A abductor may simply tell your child, "Your parent is hurt; I
will take you to them". When your child hears this, he/she will likely relax their guard and leave with the
person, even though they may hardly recognize them. To prevent this possibility, the parent needs to
give their child a "Code Word" that only the parents and the child know. If the parent wants someone to
pickup the child, that person is given the Code Word to use. Once you decide on a Code Word, it is a
good idea to change it from time to time. You need to make certain that what ever word is used, it is
easily remembered by you and your child.
Teach your child to be aware of his/her surroundings. Keep their heads up and look around for
anything that looks suspicious. Don't walk near alleys or the back of buildings. Take an alternate route
if the one you're on looks unsafe or could be a hiding place for a predator. Make sure that your child
doesn't walk beside vans or trucks in parking lots. It is easy for a predator to hide in these type of
vehicles and grab a child as they walk by. Work with your child to try and improve their self-confidence.
Predators rarely target kids who appear self-confident and aware.
For those children who spend some time at home alone, answering the front door can be extremely
important. When alone, a child should never answer the door. Even if it’s a friend or relative of the
family – if that person has arrived unexpectedly, it’s better for the child to not let them in. Statistics show
that over 90 percent of predators are usually someone the child already knows. Children also need to
be taught that even though the parent is home, it’s still important for the child to get the parent before
answering the door.
When children are alone at home and they answer the phone, they are never to state that they are
home alone. Teach your child to say that the parent is unavailable, to take a message, and then hang
up. Children should also be taught to never give out any personal information, no matter who is calling.
The only time a child should talk to a stranger is when he or she is in trouble and needs help. Children
should only seek out a stranger’s help when they are lost or hurt, or are trying to get away from
someone who is hurting them. We need to make sure our children understand the importance of this.
Make sure your child realizes that strangers look like everyone else – they don’t look like a wild monster
or strange creature – meaning your child will not be able to judge a nice stranger from a stranger bent
on harming them.