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Stranger Smart Testing
Kids Join The Kids Safety Smart Wildcats Club.
Classes Will Begin At The End Of November.
Follow This Guideline: The THIRD step is the most important step.
1. Teach your kids if a stranger approaches and tries to talk to your child, he or she is to scream "STRANGER" and run away as fast as they can in order to come find you.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Adults should always know better then to approach a child you do not know regardless of what your intentions are, good or bad.
As an adult you should never approach a child in public because it defeats the purpose of what the parent is trying to teach their child about strangers who may try to lure them away. The child has been taught never talk to strangers and as an adult you are breaking a very important rule. If for some reason it is unavoidable that you should have to speak to a child whom you do not know when the child's mom or dad is not around, always keep your distance of at least 20 feet so as not to intimidate the child or to scare them.
Remember, you're intentions may be good but the child has been taught not to talk to strangers and if you talk to a child whom you do not know, you put that child in the awkward position of being either intimidated by an adult to comply or having the courage to make the decision to obey mom and dad and run away from a stranger. You as an adult should always honor this important rule from your adult standpoint and realize if you talk to a child whom you do not know you put that child’s life in danger to trust strangers.
A good part of our Stranger Smart Program is to also educate adults not to approach kids whom they do not know and to always keep a distance between you and any child that you might happen upon. The child’s safety and well being of state of mind always comes first.
2. Parents when talking to your kids about strangers, go through each scenario over and over again until you are confident your child knows exactly what you are trying to teach them; not to talk strangers. Talk to your child in the morning at breakfast or in the car when you’re taking them to school. Ask them questions like, “what would you do if this happened” giving them a scenario to think about what they would actually do if faced with a serious situation where your child must react quickly in order to survive. You do not have to be completely graphic with your child in your scenarios but you can make them aware of certain dangers by getting them to respond to every day occurrences that happen to unsuspecting people who are not aware of their surroundings and the dangers of being caught off guard. The main focus is to make your child aware of his or her surroundings at all times in order to react quickly if something does happen out of the ordinary and your child knows exactly what to do to survive because they already have a pre-planned idea of how to get away from a stranger.
Talk to your kids in their bedroom at night before they go to sleep or in the living room when you’re just sitting around watching television.
When you're in the mall with your kids go over different scenarios with them especially when you take them to the park or some place where you frequently visit.
The point is you can make a lasting impression by having the same conversation about the subject but in a different setting or in different surroundings; it helps your child to remember.
There was a time in our country when people didn’t have to worry about such things as stranger abductions most every town was like Mayberry RFD where kids played in neighborhoods with out any fears and mothers knew their kids were safe. Of course it’s not the environment we live in today and so we must adapt in order to teach our kids to survive in a world filled with predators. Every city has them even small towns and it is our constant responsibility as parents to keep predators away from our kids.
3. This is the most important step and without this step all your teachings will have no effect on your kids to why they should never to talk to strangers. When you feel they are ready and have a clear understanding of what you are trying to teach them about the dangers of talking to a stranger, take them to a park or a school playground to be tested.
NOTE: DO NOT tell your kids they are being tested.
The purpose of the test is to see how your child will react when approached by a stranger.
As you watch from a distance have the person playing the part of the stranger whom your child has never seen before, approach your child and try to lure your child away. You may be surprised at the results. If your child fails, sit down with your child at that very moment while the event is still fresh on their mind and ask them “why did you go with a stranger". Make them aware of what they have just done, how they have failed the test and why it is important they learn not to talk to strangers.
Let them know in a very stern voice how important it is that they never go with a stranger for any reason no matter how nice the stranger may seem to be. Go over the procedures again with your child and tell them where they made their mistake.
Have the person who is portraying the stranger tell your child, not in explicit detail, however in very harsh language to make an impression on your child why they are disappointed and how terrible it was for them to follow a stranger out of the park.
You may want to wait a couple of weeks and then test your child again.
Common Tactics Used By Strangers: When a stranger approaches a child for the purpose of abducting that child there are several tactics the stranger will use to either lure your child away or snatch the child up and carry him or her away. It is important that you make your child aware of these tactics used by strangers so your child can be on guard and able to make a quick decision in order to get away from a stalking stranger.
1. Sometimes a stranger will pretend to be looking for a lost dog or some kind of pet and will ask your child if they can help find the pet. They may even have a picture of the pet to be more convincing to the child. Children are innocent little eager helpers and it’s this vulnerability that predators prey on. A predator of this type will always be very friendly and seem to be a good person.
2. A stranger may be driving down the street and see a child playing in the yard who might be a potential victim and will pull their car up close to the child and pretend to ask for directions in order to get the child to come closer to the car. Teach your child to never go near a stranger’s car and if a car does slow down or even stops near your child, teach your child to immediately run away.
3. A stranger may even use the oldest tactic in the history of child abduction, offering your child candy or money if they can help them find someone as a reward for their help.
4. A Stranger may tell your child that he or she is in trouble and has done something wrong and that your child must come with them to talk with the authorities. At this point the stranger may grab a hold of your child's arm and attempt to lead your child away. Teach your child that NO ONE has the authority to touch them or lead them away that this is a trick used by stalkers. Teach your child to scream and to fight back and not to allow anyone to lead them away no matter what the reason is or what the stranger is saying to your child why he or she should come with them.
If an adult does have a legitimate cause or reason to detain a child for wrong doing, the adult has two options.
A. Detain the child right there on the spot and wait for the authorities to come to where you are. You never lead a child away.
B. Follow the child from a distance to his or her house in order to talk with the parents. Keep a safe distance from you and the child and do not intimidate the child. An adult should NEVER touch or put their hands on a child whom they do not know.
5. A stranger may tell your child that you or a member of the family has been in an accident and that they need to bring your child to the hospital to where the family is waiting. Always make it clear to your child that you would never send a stranger to get them or pick them up in an emergency, only a family member or a policeman and that this is a trick that strangers use.
These are just a few examples of how a child predator may try to lure your child away or snatch your child from the street or yard so it is important that your child know the tactics that strangers use in order to be prepared to take whatever evasive action that is necessary to avoid being abducted. You and your child can sit down and have a serious conversation about how a stranger would try to lure your child away and go over the scenarios you come up with over and over again so it is always fresh on their little minds. Not to make your child paranoid about other people but you can make them understand how important it is to always be alert. Teach them to be aware and street smart. Sometimes when you’re in the mall shopping and you might see another child doing something wrong that might attract a strangers attention, point it out to your child and get their opinion on what the child did wrong and what they would do if they were in the same situation. This is a very important issue that you as a parent should discuss with your child on continuous basis so that your child does not become complaisant about what you are trying to teach them, the dangers of talking to a stranger.
NOTE: It is important that the instructor playing the part of the stranger always be a man. The reasons are obvious; it is more likely that a stranger who tries to abduct a child is going to be a man. This is not to say a woman is not capable of abducting a child, kids are more likely to trust a woman before they do a man but statistics show the majority of child abductions for the purpose of doing harm to the child are most often committed by a man.
Keep testing your child until they get it right. It is very important if they fail the test the second time, the person playing the part of the stranger not participate this time in the scolding.
Let them walk away after you have intervened. You may even make it a dramatic scene for your child as if you have chased away a stranger to make your child aware of just how important it is not to talk to strangers. Scold your child but let your child know you are trying to teach them the importance of not talking to strangers.
Children remember and learn from dramatic experiences. Children are very innocent and trusting and sometimes find it difficult to say NO to an adult. Teach your child over and over again that it is ok to say NO to a stranger. If you need help teaching your kids not to talk to strangers and you would like to attend one of our stranger safety seminars, write to us and we will send you the information you need.
Testing is part of the seminar and we can guarantee you after attending one of our safety classes, you and your child will learn a lot about being stranger smart.
For Stranger Smart Classes and Testing in your area, write to us for more information. kidssafetysmart@teacher.com MB/06/05/05
Parents teach your kids to fight back if a stranger tries to abduct them and for some reason they can't manage to run away. The Wildcat Club shows parents how to teach your child to fight back with effective techniques that can save your child's life. When little Carlie Brucia was abducted a video surveillance camera caught the entire abduction on tape. The tape showed that her abductor grabbed her by the arm and convinced Carlie she should go with him, which she did. Although she went with her abductor with some hesitation she did not fight back or try to get away and of course her body was later found she had been brutally murdered. Fighting back may just be your child’s last resort to get away from a stranger who might have them by the arm trying to lead them away to a certain tragic end. Let your child join the Kids Safety Smart Wildcats club and learn how to fight back in case a stranger abducts them. KIDS JOIN THE WILDCATS CLUB
WARNING: There are some videos on the market today that are suppose to teach kids not to talk to strangers but rather are useless in their presentation because they try to teach kids the dangers of talking to strangers on a “Barney” format to make it “fun” for the kids.
This is a very serious subject and it's NOT FUN.
A “Barney” format may be good for teaching kids to brush their teeth or to look both ways when crossing the street but when teaching your kids not to talk to strangers or why it is dangerous for them to do so, IT IS NOT FUN TIME LEARNING.
Your kids must be taught to realize the dangers of talking to a stranger is very serious business which could cost them their life, even to the point of literally putting the fear of God in them if that’s what it takes. If you make light of the subject as to make it a fun time learning experience kids will not take the subject serious enough and when the time comes for a child to react quickly in order to get away from a stranger they may hesitate for just a second, which could cost them their lives. Fear on the other hand is a quick motivator for a quick reaction necessary to escape the clutches of a predator and if that’s what it takes for a child to keep a safe distance from themselves and strangers then that’s the format parents should use, fear of the unknown stranger.
If you live in Florida or even if you don't, you must surely know parents in Florida teach their children to be aware and afraid of crocodiles because of the dangers that exist with crocodiles in that region which can kill a child in a matter of seconds. The same consideration and instructions from parents to their children for teaching the reasons for staying away from strangers should be the same as you would teach your child to stay away from a crocodile because the danger is the same. A predator who preys on children are just as dangerous as a lose crocodile lurking in the shadows of your back yard. This is why Kids Safety Smart CANNOT give our endorsement to America’s Most Wanted stranger video “The Safe Side” by Julie Clark and John Walsh. Fun videos such as these dealing with a serious subject that is life and death for a child do more harm then they do good. Life and death subjects are not FUN TIME LEARNING. This is a subject that should be discussed among parents and kids but in a serious discussion to make a lasting important impression on kids why they should not talk to strangers. Children do not need to be entertained into learning especially when it’s a serious subject such as being abducted by a stranger. However, they do need to be shown over and over again why being abducted by a stranger is dangerous for them and what is the right way to handle any dangerous situation that might come up.
We commend John Walsh on the work he has done over the years to rid our streets of dangerous people and we know in his heart he thought he was doing a good thing in making this video, teaching kids to not talk to strangers. However, this is too important of an issue that concerns either life or death for a child who might actually be faced with the reality of fighting off a stranger and at that critical moment a child should not be thinking about “Barney” or some other fun character trying to remember what to do. We call on John Walsh and his producers to rethink their video and even do a remake on a more serious format. At that critical moment when a child must react quickly in the right way in order to save his or her life, it's no longer a fun game and fear should become the motivating factor to cause a child to run and fight back if it’s necessary to get away from a stranger who is trying to carry them away.
Little 5 year old Samantha Runion was playing in her front yard when the man who took her pulled up in front of her house, got out of his car, walked over to little Samantha and picked her up and carried her back to his car then drove away with her screaming and kicking for her life. As the abductor carried little Samantha to his car she begin to kick and scream calling out for mommy to help her but it was to late she was helpless to get away. The man who took little Samantha had no problem in approaching little Samantha because she had no real fear of a man walking up to her who had just pulled up in front of her house and got out of his car.
You do not have to go into explicit details with your child but you should make them aware that bad things can happen to make them understand just how serious this subject is. Be delicate but be firm and give your child the right information. Children learn not to pick up a snake because it may bite them and children carry that fear with them in the knowledge they have from being taught how dangerous a snake can be because it may be poisonous and will kill. Caution is taught to avoid a snake if the child happens to walk upon one slithering through the grass and it's that same fear factor that deters a child from touching a snake or picking one up because they know they can be bitten. The same concept is important when you sit down to discuss with your child why talking to strangers is just as dangerous as playing with or picking up a snake; getting to close to either one can cost your child's his or her life.
Strangers use tricks to lure children away such as trying to find a lost pet and even a cash reward or maybe some kind of toy and gadget if the child will help. Although, teach your child not to even let a stranger get close enough to have the chance to talk to your child, nor should they ever listen to a stranger but run away when a stranger pulls up in a car or if a stranger is trying to get to close. It is certainly no longer enough to tell your child not to talk to strangers or why they should never let a stranger get close enough to talk to your child but in the times we live your child should be shown over and over again the reasons why if a stranger approaches your child that their first reaction is to run away as fast as they can, to even scream if they feel threatened. If it turns out to be a misguided adult whose intentions were harmless, it will teach the adult never approach a child you do not know. Practice over and over again with your child what to do if a stranger approaches so it is fresh on their mind.
There is a reason we have emergency drills such as a fire drill because people have a human nature to become complaisant in their day to day living and when an emergency does arise they forget what to do and panic, which cost lives. You should know as a parent just telling your child something does not mean they won’t forget it. Practice your safety drills over and over again. Make it a monthly ritual as your family should already be practicing fire drills, earthquake drills and tornado drills, practicing stranger safety drills are just as important. Take your drills serious and just make it a part of your life. You will not believe how doing safety drills as a family will bring your family closer together and will open doors for other ways of communicating with your kids when it comes to talking to them about the dangers of doing drugs and the downfalls of immoral behavior. The family that learns together and drills together stays together in perilous times. Another benefit from practicing safety drills as part of your family ritual is the courage and determination that will become a part of your daily life to be more assertive in emergency situations with the mental ability to react and keep a clear head which could save yours or some one else life. Rescue service people practice their skills over and over again so they are ready to go mentally and physically when they are called on to react and perform their rescue duties. We should all be put on notice that any moment you may be called on to react in an emergency, caught in a life and death situation where it’s up to you if a life is saved or lost. Practice and react with confidence that the outcome is going to a positive one.
