A frightening incident was reported Tuesday night at Wolfle Elementary School in Kingston: a 7-year-old reported a strange man tried to get into her family’s car.
While reports of “stranger danger” are exceedingly rare according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, they do happen. But a perpetrator is far more likely to be someone the child knows, the center says.
Still, there are some overarching tips to help keep children safe.
Here are a few offered by the
center:
1. Always check first with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult before going anywhere, accepting anything, or getting into a car with anyone.
2. Do not go out alone. Always take a friend with when going places or playing outside.
3. Say no if someone tries to touch you, or treats you in a way that makes you feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
4. Tell a parent, guardian, or trusted adult if you feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.
5. There will always be someone to help you, and you have the right to be safe.
Anyone else have some tips they can offer our readers?
Yes. I recommend all parents read the book “Protecting the Gift” by Gavin de Becker and all women read “The Gift of Fear” by the same author. He is the leading violence expert in the U.S. whose services are used by government officials and celebrities. “Protecting the Gift” recommends ways on how to protect our children and how to teach them to protect themselves. “The Gift of Fear” recommends ways we can protect ourselves–which is something every woman needs to learn. In both books he also tells you the what signs to be looking for in a potential threat. I learned a lot from his books and I currently use the techniques he recommends with my son.
Yes…all those things, but I would add to make arrangements for the child to be escorted to and from school by a parent or trusted adult.
The children’s safety could easily work into strong family activities to make up for the child’s loss of individual freedom. Maybe a child’s right of play in freedom…. to hike the hills behind their
home alone…maybe those days are over. BUT parents can provide activities for their children that can have immense rewards for the child and parent/s.
Martial Arts should be taught children…to learn effective self defense.
I would lobby for stronger child predator laws.
Schools should be a closed campus if they aren’t already.
Sharon O’Hara