Being careful and following safety tips are not a guarantee that a child will be safe from a kidnapping. However, by following some child abduction prevention steps, an individual can take precautions and lower the risk of their child being kidnapped. One of the most important child abduction prevention tips involves teaching children about what to do in possible child abduction scenarios.
One can start by teaching children precautions they can take if a stranger approaches them. Teaching a child never to get into the stranger’s car or to follow one anywhere is a starting point.
Teaching a child that it is okay to physically attack a stranger that tries to abduct them is an important child abduction prevention tip. Many children are taught not to use violence to solve a problem. Explaining that it is okay to use violence in emergencies will make a child more likely to follow through with an attack.
A child should also know what kinds of strangers to look out for. Establishing a core group of individuals whom a child can trust will make a child understand who they can and cannot go with. Pointing out the differences between safe strangers and dangerous strangers are also important. A child should know that it is okay to speak with a police officer but not okay to talk to an unfamiliar man in a car.
Another child abduction prevention tip that a parent can take is always to know the whereabouts of their children. Even if they are with another family member or a friend, one should know what their children will be doing over the course of a day.
If a child is visiting a friend, discussing rules about what is allowed and not allowed with the friend’s parent may help safeguard the possibility of a child abduction. For instance, if the child’s friend is allowed to go to the park alone but their parent doesn’t want their child to be allowed to go, the other parent will know to suggest another activity or accompany them to the park.
There is safety in numbers. A child abduction incident is less likely to happen to a child who travels with a group of friends. Children who do many activities alone outside the house is more vulnerable to kidnappers. A parent can set up a system with other neighborhood parents to ensure the safety of their children.
Child abduction is one of a parent’s worst nightmares. While it is not possible to keep a child safe every second, knowing some general child abduction prevention tips can help a child be as safe as possible within their community.