Stranger Safety
The abduction or kidnapping of a child is a parent’s worst nightmares. The media attention given to notorious and high profile cases only serves to heighten these fears. As a result, loving parents often teach children about stranger danger and encourage them not to talk to strangers. Unfortunately these well meaning admonishments often make our children more vulnerable as it undermines their confidence. Perpetrators look for children who lack confidence.
Another challenge for children is that they don’t have the same understanding as adults of who is a stranger and who is not. We expect children to talk with people at a party that they are attending with their family, to be friendly to the cashier at the grocery store and to seek help from adults if they are separated from their parents. Unfortunately, they often end up paralyzed in these situations as they recall the words of their parents, “Don’t talk to strangers.”
Statistics
Approximately 100 children are abducted by strangers or slight acquaintances (store clerk, mail carrier, etc…) each year
Between 55,000 and 58,000 children are abducted each year total. This includes children who are taken by strangers or slight acquaintances and children who are taken by estranged spouses, former partners or family friends.
According to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children, teenagers are by far at the greatest risk of being abducted.
These statistics underscore the importance of continuing the conversation about risky behavior as children grow from preschoolers to elementary school aged and on through high school. The risks vary for each age and the information should always be presented in an age-appropriate, calm, non-threatening way.
Stranger Safety Checklist
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Resources for Parents and Caregivers