Child Abduction Online Seminar

1. Child Abduction Online Seminar Take the time to protect a child.

2. Child Abduction Over 800,000 children are reported missing in the United Stateseach year. It’s good to know there are simple precautions you can take to help safeguard your children. The help you can offer a young child is somewhat different from what is useful for an older child. We have a collection of some of the best abduction prevention tips available. Our tips focus on children and the disabled. Please print the tips you would like to share with your children and friends for future reference.No parent thinks their child will become missing yet almost one million are reported missing every year in the United States alone.A very good start to recovering a lost or stolen child is help prevent it from happening in the first place. Talk with your children and teach them some of the safety tips in the following pages. Make sure you have a child ID kit for each of your children. Police can begin a more thorough search for the missing child immediately using the information contained in the ID kit.

3. Child Abduction Young children should: -never say they are alone if they answer the phone: they can offer to take a message or say their parents will phone back. -never answer the door if they are alone. -not invite anyone in the house without the permission of a parent or babysitter. -not go into people's houses without letting anyone know where they are. -never get into anyone's car without permission. -not take candy or other gifts from strangers or anyone else without asking a parent first. -never play in deserted buildings or isolated areas. -scream and scatter books and belongings if they are forced towards a building or car. -move away from a car that pulls up beside them if they do not know the driver.

4. Child Abduction Young children should: -be taught that it's all right to say 'no' to an adult if the person wants them to do something you've taught them is wrong. -know that no one has the right to touch any part of their bodies that a bathing suit would cover. -tell you, school authorities or a police officer about anyone who exposes private parts. -tell you if someone has asked them to keep a secret from you. -go to the nearest cashier if lost or separated from you in a store or mall.

5. Child Abduction Older children/teens should: -tell you where they are at all times or leave a written or recorded message at home. -never hitchhike. -avoid shortcuts through empty parks, fields, yards or alleys. -run home or go to the nearest public place and yell for help if they are being followed. -learn to recognize suspicious behavior and remember a description of the person or vehicle to give you or the police. Write the plate number in the dirt or snow if nothing else is available. -if attacked for money, jewelry or clothing give it up rather than risking injury. -feel that they can talk to you and call you to pick them up at any time, any place.

6. Child Abduction You should:-avoid clothing and toys with your child's name on it. A child is less likely to fear someone who knows his/her name. -check all potential babysitters and older friends of your child. -never leave your child alone in a public place, stroller or car. Not even for a minute. -always accompany young children to the bathroom in a public place and advise them never to play in or around the area. -always accompany your child on door-to-door activities, i.e. Halloween, school fund raising campaigns, etc. -point out safe houses where children can go if they are in trouble.

7. Child Abduction You should: -create an environment in which the child feels free to talk to you. Let him/her know that you are interested and sensitive to their fears. -teach them that the police are their friends and that they can rely on them if they are in trouble. -keep an up-to-date color photograph of your child, a medical and dental history, and have your child fingerprinted.

8. Talking to Little Ones Teaching children to recognize and deal with threats without scaring them is a dilemma for parents. Without the tools to be able to communicate with your child, the fear of them being abducted can be overwhelming. Communicating effectively with yourchildren, however, is possible. These simple tips will assist you to empower them, make them safer and boost your peace of mind."Be Careful" and "Don't Go With Strangers" Isn't Enough! An overemphasis on stranger-danger can actually be counterproductive. Most offenses against children, including abduction and sexual offenses, are committed by people that they know. Recognizingthis fact, don't go overboard with fear of strangers ; those maybe the very people the child has to turn to for help. A more productive emphasis should be on how to identify trusted guides.

9. Talking to Little Ones Trusted Guides are other people who can help and are probably safe. Police officers, especially at a crime scene, firefighters at a fire, or doctors at a hospital are usually safe to ask for help. If you are lost in a store, you could ask the person atthe counter for help. In some circumstances, such as if you were lost in the park, it would be okay to approach a parent at the playground with other children who was treating them kindly. If you were lost in the deep forest and heard people calling your name, it would be a good choice to ask those people for help. The exception would be if you were hiding from people who kidnapped or hurt you. Most people are not dangerous and will not hurt people. Most people will help you if they can.

10. Talking to Little Ones Step 1:Explain The Danger. Parents often tell children, "Don't go with strangers". This is vague and doesn't help children protect themselves. Most abductions are by relatives anyway! Better advice would be "if you are lost or need help sometimes it's okay to ask strangers for assistance, but strangers shouldn'tbe asking you for help or to go with them. Usually you should not go somewhere with strangers unless you need their help in an emergency.“ Step 2:Who Is A Stranger? A stranger is anyone who is a stranger to you. Make an agreement regarding who is safe to go with, andthat they must say NO! to anyone else, no matter what! Teach your child to stay at least arms length away from a stranger who approaches them.

11. Talking to Little Ones Step 3:Don't Be Polite! Parents teach children to be "polite“.They should also teach that it's OK to be assertive and not talk to strangers. Adults should ask adults for help, not children! Step 4:Home and Phone Safety. Decide if your child is old enough to answer the door or phone when no adult is home. Never answer probing questions over the phone or at the door, call a parent.Teach 911 procedures. Step 5:Make A Code Word. Teach the child a code word. If a visitor comes to get them, the visitor must know the code word, or the child should not go with them.

12. Talking to Little Ones Step 6:Pick Their Routes. Avoid alleys, wooded areas, parking lots and spontaneous shortcuts. Choose areas where anything out of the ordinary would be noticed by neighbors, business owners,pedestrians, etc. Step 7: Identify Trusted Adults. Pick stores, schools, churches,and homes of safe neighbors or homes with Block Home signs along their routes. Make sure your child knows these "safe places“ that they should go if they need help. Remember, it's generally safer if the child picks the adult! Step 8:NO-GO-TELL. If approached by somebody who is scary,or who asks them to do something that seems wrong, a child should yell NO! then GO immediately to a trusted adult and TELL whathappened.

13. Talking to Little Ones Try some Role Plays: They are lost in a store and a stranger offers help: (Ask a cashier for help). A stranger offers them candy, or to go see a puppy: (Don't go with or accept gifts from strangers unless you really need their help). Ask the stranger to call the police, or to call your parents. says there was an emergency and the child should go with them. (Ask for code word). Asks your child for help carrying something/asks direction. (Adults ask adults for help).Have a friend participate, have your child GO and TELL. Reward and coach your child. Step 9:What If The Worst Happens. If a child is screaming, a passerby may think it's a child having a tantrum, but fail to recognize an abduction.

14. Talking to Little Ones Why People Don't Talk To Their Children: The MythsIt will frighten them but still not make them safe. They will feel like they can't trust anyone! I can't tell them how to protect themselves. The TruthChildren have a keen sense of intuition and can recognize dangerous situations, but need to be given guidance about what's safe and what's not. Once you help them to understand the difference, a child can begin to make decisions regarding their safety. You can help them understand that they can protect themselves, and that the world does not have to be a scary place.

15. Talking to Little Ones Children who are victims of attempted abduction should repeatedly yell "HELP! I DON'T KNOW THIS PERSON! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!"Children have been saved by doing this! Be sure your child knows that resistance-yelling, kicking, scratching, biting, is acceptable under these circumstances. Depending on the age of your child, encourage them to remember details: Vehicle description or model, appearance of the person involved, what was said, etc. Write these details down immediately and call the Police.

16. Thank you for taking the time to protect a child. Please provide us feedback on this program. Email us at: jovichm@msn.com Share this with a friend.