Here are some basic tips on how to protect your child and decrease their chances of being kidnapped or abducted.
Before allowing your child to be independent, you should take steps to ensure their safety and teach them the best behavior around strangers.
Here are some ingenious and very practical ideas!
Never reveal your child's name.
Don't write your child's name on his or her personal belongings. Don't attach a name tag to their purse or backpack. Never put name tags on their lunch box or tumbler. Only have your kid wear their school ID upon reaching the school gate. Also, beware of anyone that seems suspicious because what they might be looking for is your child’s first name. The logic behind this is an unfamiliar person immediately wins their trust by calling them by their first name. -A better idea is to write only your phone number on the label/tags. It will still prove to be helpful if anything gets lost or stolen.
Apparently, many attempted abductions failed when they just grabbed the kid and attracted the attention of bystanders. If they talked to the children and called them by their first names, they’d have better chances. - But not all abductors are that dumb. We need to be careful and teach our children not to trust anyone they don’t know. - Even if the person calls them by name.
Run away from cars in the opposite direction.
Not getting into cars with strangers is a very basic rule but your child should learn a more important rule: If a car pulls over near them or starts to follow them, your child should run in the direction opposite to the movement of the vehicle. It will help your kid buy time to call for help. Vans are typically used for kidnapping for a number of reasons. They offer better concealment than cars, they’re typically rented out and can fit in many people. They can transport multiple kids (or corpses) in a single run. This limits the vehicle’s exposure to the public as well making the crime hard to solve for police. The most obvious drawback is they’re harder to maneuver in traffic, especially if their victim turns back.
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Install tracking apps.
Things that have GPS functions such as smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets are really useful. All you have to do is install the right app. These devices can be used as hearing aids, baby monitors and even short-range 2-way radios (via wi-fi connectivity)! Connections through the cloud may even allow them to function as tracking devices. If you have the right app, you can monitor your child's precise whereabouts and even the battery level of their device. Check out life360 locator and GPS phone tracker. -They might come in handy in case of emergency.
Buy an emergency button watch.
Gadgets with a built-in emergency button come in the form of watches keychains bracelets or medallions. Using a mobile app such as BuddyTag or Major-GSM Panic, you can constantly keep an eye on your child’s location and if there’s something wrong, your child can press the ‘panic’ button to notify you or the police.
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Teach your child to shout: “I don't know him!”
Tell your child that when grabbed by a stranger, it's more than ok to behave badly. They can bite, kick, claw, and try to attract people’s attention at any cost. Even if the situation in very scary or the suspect offers them something like toys or candies to pacify them, they should continue screaming and yell “I don’t know him! He wants to take me!”
Tell them to keep a distance during conversations
Since “Don’t talk to strangers.” may make your kid too impolite, you can teach them to make conversations shorter than 10 seconds and stand back from strangers. That way, they can also see their face clearly and more easily. If a stranger starts asking unexpected questions like “Who’s your mother? When is she coming? Where do you live?” -Better stand back and never give specific answers. Head to a safe place immediately. You can practice the situation with your child so they will know what a safe distance looks like.
Elevator Safety Tips
Avoid having young kids use the elevator alone. It’s not only dangerous especially at the ages when kids play with elevator doors and buttons but a stranger might entice them to get off on the wrong floor, use the stairs or fire exit and get out without anyone seeing. I remember what happened to a popular actor in the Philippines who’s battered, threatened and taken out of a condominium while hogtied with duct tape. CCTV reviews revealed what really happened but most people wouldn’t notice what was happening when they got out of the building via the elevator like everything was normal.
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Don’t let strangers know your child is home alone.
Explain to your child that if there’s a call at the door yet no one can be seen or answer the question “Who’s there?” They are supposed to keep the door completely shut. There’s no need to check if there’s anyone outside. It will save them from pranks or anything worse than that. Also, be aware that if salespeople can introduce themselves as “gas inspectors” or municipal workers for you to let them in, so bandits can. When someone starts to break in, they should remember to hit the panic button or call 911 immediately.
Come up with a family password.
If someone tells your child: “Come with me. I'll take you home/to your dad’s office.” Your little one should ask: “What are my parents’ name? What is our family password?” Come up with a code for emergency situations that is hard to guess but easy to remember. You should only use this if an acquaintance has to pick up your child from school because of an emergency. For example, combine a favorite color and a favorite food in an unlikely manner like “Blue Pizza”.
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Never allow your child to meet friends they just met online.
It’s too dangerous for the young to meet strangers they chat with online and it’s really surprising how common this practice has become. Warn your child that bad guys can find their way via the internet and pretend to be someone you know. If someone on social media says he is George from next door, this person might not be the 10-year-old boy he claims to be. There should be another verification step before assuming that the online account is genuine. Call the person or visit during safe hours. Never allow them to open the door or go out late in the evening just because a new online friend says they’re dropping by. It’s easy to make an excuse in order to avoid doing that.
Any safety precaution might fail, so never forget to pray for your family’s safety. It’s also advisable to implement at least two or three of the aforementioned safety tips depending on your situation.
