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Safety Awareness

Thousands of children are reported missing each year. The prospect of not seeing a child again is probably one of the greatest fears a parent can have. In reality, most parents experience the feeling many times over, because children can easily be temporarily misplaced.

They can become absorbed in their activities and simply forget to tell parents where they are and what they're doing. Many children run away from home, deciding they're capable of running their own lives. Most often they come back with their tails between their legs, thankful for a nice meal and a warm bed.

 

Too often though, children are abducted, and there is no stereotype child or child-abductor to gauge the chances by. Who Abducts Children? Usually, the child abductor is not the spooky guy in the trench coat who raids the garbage bins at night and hangs around in the park, unshaven and unclean.

Most often, they look just like the average person you see walking down the street. Clean, tidy, sociable and friendly. Maybe even related.

But why would they want to take your child? There are of course those people who want to molest the child. They may have no specific gender preference, and in their minds, have a multitude of reasons to justify their actions.

Other children go missing because a parent is distraught about unfair custodial arrangements brought about through separation or divorce, so they simply steal the child. Additionally, there are many people who long to have child of their own, but are unable to, so they abduct someone else's child in the hope of evading detection and effectively, albeit unlawfully, adopting the child.

 

Fortunately, increased community concern about abduction, combined with education and improved crime detection techniques, means the number of missing children being found is increasing.

Creating a whole new culture of paranoia is not the solution to the abduction/molestation problem. We can't be distrustful of everyone, but there are many precautionary measures parents can take to reduce the risk of children falling victim to abductors or child molesters.

 

Who's that person?

From a child's point of view, an unfamiliar face doesn't necessarily mean anything bad. They see "strangers" all the time, and often witness adults talking with unfamiliar people.

Defining a stranger to a child can be difficult, and it's no use trying to describe a stranger by conjuring up images of Mr. Death, dressed in black flowing robes and carrying a huge dagger. The word stranger itself tends to imply there's something strange (weird) about the person.

The neighbour up the road may be unfamiliar, but if they don't look scary, the child probably wouldn't categorise them as a stranger - just an unfamiliar face. While it might be worthwhile teaching your children to watch out for strangers, teaching them to recognise potentially dangerous situations seems to make more sense, especially when the real danger may be the nice looking neighbour up the road, or even Uncle Joe.

There are many ways to help reduce risks, and a few simple rules may help deter would be abductors.

  • Teach your children to assess their surroundings
  • Does everything look and feel right? How are people in their environment behaving?
  • Don't let your child go with any stranger who says they were sent by you.
  • If you must arrange for a stranger to collect your child, let the child know this is authorised. You can set up a password system, or some other signal to identify authorised people to your child. But make sure to instruct the child to never, under any circumstances, tell anyone else what this password is. If you need to use it, change it immediately afterwards, in case it's discovered by someone with the wrong intentions.
  • It's easier for children to be deceived by someone who knows their name, so don't put exposed name-tags on clothing/bags etc. Conceal names, addresses and phone numbers, but make sure your children know where they are.
  • Warn your child about over-friendly adults offering gifts or trying to touch them inappropriately.
  • Is there a way out? Teach your children to avoid getting caught in a situation where they can't get away if they feel the need to.


Who am I?

Do your children know their own names, address and phone number? Teach your children these things as early as possible.

Also ensure that they know how to contact you at work, in case the need arises. The best place to store this information is in the child's head. It can also be written down and kept in a safe place, such as the child's wallet or purse.

In the event your child becomes lost, this information should be given to a person in authority.

 

 

Be Prepared

It's important to talk to your children openly about strategies to minimise risks. Most precautionary measures are just common sense, but being caught in a compromising situation without warning can cause confusion and blur thinking.

Having discussed possible scenarios and solutions with your children may avert some of the confusion, resulting in clearer decision making in an emergency.

For example, ask your children what they would do if they suspected suspicious behaviour. Would they report it to you or someone else?
In the event they are being followed by a car, teach them to run in the opposite direction, to the nearest house with people at home, or another location where there are adults.

Ask them who they think could help them in a crisis? An adult person in authority - Police, Traffic Control Officer, Shop Assistants, Taxi Drivers etc.

 

 

Knock-knock - Who's there?

If you go and leave your baby-sitter with your child, they should know some basic safety rules. In fact, insist that they know them. These rules can be taught to your children as they grow, so that when they reach an age where you consider they can be left at home without supervision, they'll already know them.

Safety practices you should develop in your child are:

  • Keep all doors and windows locked.
  • Before opening the door, always find out who's there. · Don't open the door to anyone until you're sure it's safe to do so. If someone you don't know tries to get in and won't go away, call the police.
  • Answer the phone with a simple hello. Don't give your name. If a caller asks your name, ask them who they were trying to reach.
  • If the caller asks "What number is this?", ask them what number they called.
  • Never let a caller know you are alone. Tell the caller your parents aren't able to come to the phone, and take a message.
  • Never give your address over the phone. · Hang up straight away if you receive an obscene call, and notify the telephone company.
  • Keep a list of emergency numbers, including a reliable relative's or friend's, directly by the phone.

 

 

Up to Date Records

Accurate and up-to-date records prove invaluable to those searching for missing children. Any current information about the child should be kept on hand, especially photographs. The more recent the better. Because children change so quickly, it's a good idea to up-date photos at least twice a year.

Modern cameras make it easier and more affordable to take shots regularly. Remember the photos are being taken for identification purposes, so take close-ups as well as full-length shots.

Don't include lots of scenery, with a tiny person in there somewhere. Photos should be labelled clearly and include the date taken, the child's age, height, weight, and also note any distinguishing marks. Many community service organisations also offer identification programs.