I recently made contact with a local blogger in my area. A little over 13 years ago, her 10 year-old son was abducted and brutally murdered. She has made it her cause to teach children and adults safety tips that may help keep this from happening to another child. I hope this message can help save the son or daughter of someone who reads this.
A Message for Parents
From
Christopher's Clubhouse
Children are targeted as victims because they are more vulnerable than adults. They are more trusting and far easier to lure into dangerous situations. Statistics show:
• An estimated 797,500 children are reported missing each year. In 40 percent of stereotypical kidnapping cases, the child was killed.
• 896,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect. That is one child every 35 SECONDS.
• There is one sex offender for every square mile in the United States. A typical molester will abuse 30 to 60 children before they are arrested.
• Last year over 10,000 children stayed home from school at least once a month fearing bullies and half the children surveyed were bullied weekly.
It only takes seconds for a child without training to be lured into a dangerous situation. As much as you would like to, you can't be with your child every minute of the day to protect them.
So how can you teach your children the skills they need to protect themselves without scaring them?
Christopher's Clubhouse uses the radKIDS curriculum that actually trains children, in a multi-sensory, fun and interactive environment, to respond to dangerous scenarios. Children are taught safety education; everything from Home Safety to Defense Against Abduction by doing simulated activities. Once they've actually done it, and practiced it, the necessary skills will come naturally and instinctively in a dangerous situation. Through this training, children become empowered learning to replace the fear, confusion, and panic of dangerous situations with confidence, personal safety skills and self- esteem. www.christophersclubhouse.org
10 SAFETY TIPS For Kids 1. If someone knocks on your door... Never open the door without looking to see who it is first. If it‛s someone you don‛t know or trust, don‛t open the door without your parents. Even if they say they are with the police department, water or electric company, or that they have a delivery for you. 2. If someone comes up and tries to talk to you... Keep a safe distance. If you are with a trusted adult, go to them or call to them. Tell a stranger you can‛t talk and move away fast. 3. If someone you don‛t know asks to play a game with you... Don‛t let people you don‛t know or trust join in with you while you are playing unless you have your parents or sitter‛s permission. 4. If someone you don‛t know shows up at school and tells you there is an emergency at home and you need to go with him/her... It could be a TRICK. Never leave school with someone you don‛t know, for any reason. Tell a trusted adult. 5. If someone you don‛t know or trust asks you to help them find something or come see something or offers you something to go with them... Tell them "NO" in a loud voice. These are TRICKS! Move away quickly and tell a trusted adult what the stranger asked you to do. 6. If anyone touches your body in a way that you don‛t want... Move away, Say "NO!", "STOP!", "DON‛T DO THAT TO ME!" Then tell a trusted adult right away. 7. If a person touches you, then asks you to keep it a secret or tells you something bad will happen to you or someone you love if you tell... It‛s a TRICK! Tell a trusted grown up what happened. 8. If someone you don‛t know approaches you in a car and asks you for help or directions... Always stay 3 giant steps back from the car. Tell them "NO" that you can‛t help them and that you will go get a grown up to help. 9. If a stranger tries to get you into a car or other vehicle with them... Never get into a stranger‛s car without your parent‛s permission no matter how nice the person acts, no matter what he or she offers you. 10. If someone grabs you or tries to take you away... Yell LOUD!!! "NO!", "HELP!", "This is not my mom/dad!" Make a scene - knock things off a shelf, or scatter books. Do whatever it takes to BREAK AWAY! Then run to a safe place or to a phone and dial 9-1-1.
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