Submitted by Jon Keeling, Self Defense Instructor.
I often see a child or two on the corner after school, without any adult supervision. How long are these kids waiting? Maybe just a couple minutes. But sometimes they may be sitting there for a while, with their mother stuck in line at the supermarket or father stuck in a meeting or older brother absentmindedly talking on the phone… The child may see someone drive up and say “Hey! Your mother is running late and asked me to come by and bring you home. Hop in!”
Would YOUR child get in the car to be driven home? What should your child know about this sort of situation?
Something I recommend doing is having a “code” word. It could be your pet’s name or the name of some vacation spot your family visited once. Anyone sent to pick up your child must volunteer this code word before your child considers anything but running away and/or screaming, when a stranger approaches.
Research has shown that a very high percentage of abductions are made by someone familiar to a child. So the code word should change often and be used EVERY time someone outside the immediate family needs to pick up your child.
Of course our schools have lists of authorized adults who can take our children from the school. Our kids are pretty safe while they are in school. But the few minutes between school letting out and parents picking them up (or getting from the bus stop to home) are potentially very dangerous.
PLEASE talk with your child(ren) about “stranger danger” and agree on a code-word.
