KNOW THE RULES ...
Prevention Tips for Parents
Recent crimes against children, although a rare occurrence, have left many parents frightened and unsure about how best to protect their children. According to a study conducted by the Washington State Attorney General's office for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in 57 percent of the cases, the victims of child-abduction murder are victims of opportunity.
The tips noted below will help parents lessen the opportunity for abduction and kidnapping and better safeguard their children.
Teach your children to run away from danger, never towards it. Danger is anyone or anything that invades their personal space. Teach them to yell loudly. Their safety is more important than being polite. Teach your children that if they are ever followed in a car to turn around and run in the other direction to you or a trusted adult.
Never let your children go places alone, and always supervise your young children or make sure there is a trusted adult present to supervise them if you cannot. Make sure your older children always take a friend when they go somewhere.
Know where and with whom your children are at all times. Remind chidren never to take anything or respond in any way if approached by someone they don't know. Teach them to run away as quickly as they can to you or a trusted adult.
Talk openly to your children about safety and encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult if anyone or anything makes them feel frightened, confused, or uncomfortable. Discuss security issues with your children so that they will understand the need for precautions. Advise your older children about steps they can take to help safeguard themselves. Know your children's friends and their families. Pay attention to your children and listen to them. If you don't, there's always someone else who will.
Practice what you teach by creating "what if" scenarios with your children to make sure they understand the safety message and can use it in a real situation.
Consider installing an alarm system in your home with a monitoring feature. Make sure your home is secured with deadbolt locks, and ensure that landscaping aroung it doesn't provide places for people to hide.
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