Teaching Children About Stranger Danger & Safety

 

As children grow and become independent, they may encounter various strangers in their daily lives. While most strangers are harmless, some may pose a threat to children's safety. Teaching children about stranger danger and safety is crucial to helping children navigate these situations effectively and in a secured manner. Harmful strangers are individuals who may pose a threat to children's safety. They may: 

1. Approach children in isolated areas such as parks, alleys, or deserted streets.

2. Offer gifts or tempting treats to children without a legitimate reason or parent's consent.

3. Ask for help or favour from children that involves physical contact or entering into a private or hidden place.

4. Use manipulation or coercion to get children to do something they do not want to do. 

Harmless strangers are individuals who are not a threat or danger to children's safety. They may:

1. Be authority figures such as police, teachers or other categories of workers in the society.

2. Be people who are trying to get help from residents living in a particular place. Examples are tourists and people who newly relocated to the place.

3. Be individuals who are simply being friendly such as store clerk, office workers, restaurant staff, and others.

The following are strategies for teaching children about stranger danger:

1. Define what a stranger is: 

Explain to your children that a stranger is someone they do not know well or have not met from Adam. Emphasize on the fact that while it is quite good and encouraging to be friendly with people, it is also very important that they prioritize their safety. 

2. Teach children to trust their own instincts:

Encourage children to listen to the voice of their inner minds, and act according to their instincts. If they feel uncomfortable or scared when talking with a stranger, they should seek help from another trusted adult within the vicinity.

3. Role-play different scenarios:

You, as a parent, should practise different scenarios with children, such as:

(i) What to do when a stranger approaches them:

 Teach them to stay calm and say, "No." and walk away immediately from that scene. Emphasize on the children walking away from that stranger immediately, and never to look back at that stranger's direction. If that child refuses or fails to leave that place where the stranger is, the stranger may device another method to trap the child. If the stranger runs to the child after leaving him, let the child tell him again, "No.", with boldness. The stranger will most likely respect himself/ herself and leave that child alone. But, if the stranger persists and goes to the child the third time after being told "No." two times, then, let the child alert other adults in that place and report that stranger to them. Teach your child that harmful strangers can come in twos, threes, fours, or even more. If they come that way, only one of them will approach the child, whilst the remaining ones will position themselves strategically near the place observing them closely as if they do not know one another at all. In that case, the vulnerable child must be sure that he/ she does not go to one of them or any unreliable adult for help, leading to a situation whereby the child does not get the needed help for safety. Rather, the child may plunge into the danger that he/ she is running away from.

(ii) What to do if a stranger offers them a gift:

Teach the children to say "No.", and never to accept anything from someone whom they do not know. Many children have been kidnapped by strangers and killed. Others have eaten poisoned food, snacks, meat, biscuits, and fruits from their parents' enemies. They ate the poison and died! Let this advice sink deep into the hearts of the children: they must not receive any gift from anyone whom they do not know. If your child continues to receive gifts and treats left, right, and centre, from strangers, there are obviously good chances that they may be poisoned! To be forewarned is to be forewarned.

(iii) What to do when they get lost:

Teach them to stay calm when they miss their directions or are lost. Let them look for a trusted adult and ask for help.

4. Emphasize the importance of staying close to trusted adults in public places: 

Remind children to always stay close to trusted adults in public places. This automatically can help prevent them from being approached by strangers. 

5. Teach children how to seek help:

Teach children to seek help from a trusted adult, such as policeman, teacher, or any good person, if they feel scared or uncomfortable.

6. Teach children to stay safe online:

Explain to them the importance of online safety, including not sharing personal information or chatting with strangers online.

7. Encourage children to understand their surrounding:

Teach children to know and understand their surroundings very well. They must not go through the world blindfolded! They should know who and who are living in the same environment with them, and the events taking place there.

8. Practise safety rules:

Practise safety rules with children, such as staying close to a trusted adults in public places, not talking to strangers, and not accepting any gift from anyone unknown to them. 

Very unfortunately, there are numerous cases across the world where children were stolen or killed by strangers. Here are some examples:

1. Elizabeth Smart:

A  14-year-old year girl from Utah, USA, who was kidnapped from her bedroom in 2002 and held captive for nine (9) months.

2. James Bulger:

A  2-year-old boy from Liverpool, UK, who was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-old boys in 1993.

3. Polly Klaas:

A  12-year-old girl from California, USA, who was kidnapped from her bedroom in 1993, and murdered. 

4. Amanda Berry:

A 14-year-old girl from Ohio, USA, who was kidnapped in 2003, and held captive for ten (10) years. 

5. Madeleine McCann: 

A 3-year-old girl from Portugal who disappeared from her bedroom in 2007 and remains missing till today. 

Global statistics have revealed that:

1. 28% of trafficking victims are children: According to the United Nations' (UN) report, children make up a significant portion of trafficking victims worldwide.

2. Not less than 200, 000 children disappear annually in China; with only 0.1% of them found, with the remaining percentage abducted are sold to rural families.

3. 300, 000 unaccompanied and separated children: This was recorded in 80 countries between 2015 and 2016, with many falling prey to worthless smugglers and traffickers. 

Other notable cases include:

1. Spain's stolen babies: 

Up to 300, 000 babies were stolen from undesirable families and trafficked by doctors and Franco's Police.

2. Haiti's trafficked children:

48 children were rescued from a rogue creche, with many suffering from malnutrition, diarrhea, and skin diseases.

3. Timor-Leste's stolen children:

Thousands of children were transferred to Indonesia during conflict, with many experiencing persecution, forced labour, and loss of cultural identity.

4. Laos and Southeast Asia: 

Children and young women are the primary targets for human trafficking, with many cases of child trafficking reported in the region.

In conclusion, teaching children about stranger danger and safety is an essential part of their overall safety and well-being. By identifying harmful and harmless strangers, teaching children to trust their instincts, and practise safety rules, parents and caregivers can help children overcome insecurity. Additional safety tips, such as safe online and being aware of their surroundings, can further enhance children's safety. By working together, we can help children develop the skills and confidence they need to stay safe in a complex world.

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