Just recently, there was a report of a child who was abducted right in front of her house, and with her mother watching the entire event. Thankfully, the child, a girl, was soon found and returned to her parents unharmed. This event reminds us that anyone, young or old, can be a victim. Because there is danger everywhere, it is important to educate youngsters about how they can better protect themselves in order to prevent getting abducted.
There are all sorts of bad people in the world, and they have varied reasons for kidnapping children and even teens and adults. Pedophiles, who are among the most dreaded individuals in the world, abduct kids for their own amusement. Some take kids and ask their parents for ransom, and there are those who are just plain psychos in sheep’s clothing.
What’s scary is that you, the parent, will not always be there to keep an eye on your child, especially once he becomes an independent teenager. This is why teaching him a few techniques on how to thwart a kidnapping can empower him. Here are some helpful reminders.
Reminders for Kids
— Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t accept anything from a stranger. Don’t go with a stranger.
A recent study conducted by Daybreak revealed that children, even older prepubescent kids, willingly went with a man that they barely knew. He was friendly, and he told them a story about finding a lost puppy. The kids eagerly helped him while their mothers were busy talking on the phone. Luckily, this was only an experiment, with the mothers fully aware of who the man was and where their children were. But the fact remains that a stranger can take a child without force as long as he appeals to a kid’s sympathy or to what he likes. Hence, always keep an eye on your child, especially when in a public area.
— Run away, kicking and screaming.
Instruct your child about what he can do in case he is forced to go with someone or if he notices a person who is following him. He must run away and scream for help if he has to. This can get the attention of other people who could assist him.
— Ask help from the authorities.
A child who gets lost in a mall, park or any public area should seek help from a uniformed police officer. He should never ask for assistance from a stranger, especially from someone who gives him candy or from a person who tries to take him to a car so that he can be driven “home.”
Reminders for Teens
— Be wary of staged accidents.
Insurance companies are well-aware of individuals who stage car accidents in order to take advantage of someone else’s auto insurance. This technique can be quite lucrative, especially since some insurers pay up to the fair market value of a car. But a kidnapper can also use this method to get his victim alone on a lonely road. After rear-ending his target’s vehicle, for instance, the criminal will find it easier to abduct the young driver once he gets out of his car. Because of the dangers involved, it is best to teach your teenage kid to call you, the authorities or an attorney right after a car accident. The teen should also turn on his vehicle’s emergency signal lights and indicate to the other driver to follow him to a more populated area so that there will be more witnesses, just in case.
— Don’t stop to help.
Some kidnappers use children in order to lure their targets to a deserted area so that they can be taken easily with few or no witnesses at all. Let’s say that Jane, a college student, was driving and she sees a boy waving his arms frantically. She stops and asks him what the problem is. He tells her that he is lost and that he needs to go home. He then proceeds to give her his address. Jane decides to give the child a ride not knowing that her would-be abductors are already waiting for her at the address that the boy cited. Here, the best move is to call the authorities so that they’ll be the ones to help the kid.