CHILD ABDUCTION

Safety Tips to Help Prevent Child Abduction
Child Abduction
By Vanessa Rasmussen, © 2006-2008, All rights reserved.
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Over
800,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. Child
abduction is a tragedy that devastates parents and touches all of us.
The following tips tell you how to keep your
children safer:
Following are some suggestions to help parents
deal with such issues:
- Instruct your children never answer the
door when they are alone or to say that they are alone on the phone.
- The children must not invite anyone to the
house without express permission asked beforehand.
- Children must not enter anyone's homes,
cars or premises without permission of a parent or caretaker.
- Child molesters and abductors usually look
like everyday people. Tell your kids not to talk to adults they do not know.
- Children must not accept gifts or candies
from strangers before asking a parent or caretaker.
- Frequently, abductors will befriend a child
by asking for help. Some examples are: Asking to help find a lost pet; asking
directions to someone's house; offering reward money for assistance; saying
Mom or Dad have been hurt or need their help; acting like an undercover
police officer (children should only approach uniformed police officers,
and/or marked police cars).
- Make sure that you tell your child to immediately
inform you if a stranger is trying to be friendly with them or is constantly
looking at them or following them.
- Tell your children that no one should touch
them at places which a bathing suit would cover. If anyone exposes private
parts to the child, he/she must tell you, school authority or nearby policeman
immediately.
- Don't let your young child stay alone outside
doing activities like bicycle ride or strolling in the park where you cannot
keep an eye on him/her. Instruct them not to wander off, to avoid lonely
places, and not to take shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas.
- Teach your children their full names, your
full name, address, and telephone number. Teach them how to reach either
you or a trusted adult and how
to call for police assistance.
- Always accompany your child on door-to-door
activities such as Halloween,
school fund raising campaigns, etc.
- Teach your children to scream, run away
and tell you or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch or grab them.
- Children should never approach a vehicle
unless they are positively sure they know the occupants. Abductors lure
children to walk near their vehicles and then pull them inside.
- Don't leave your child unattended in a shopping
mall or in a vehicle.
Copyright 2001, 2006-2008. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this article in
whole or in part without written or verbal permission is strictly prohibited.
For information about reprinting this article, contact the copyright owner:
Vanessa Rasmussen, Ph.D,
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