7 Tips to Prevent Child Abduction

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Over the years, people have developed many different interpretations of what or who they identify this creepy creature with. Especially young children who have been taught the age-old stranger-danger lessons with parents sternly warning, “Don’t talk to strangers.” Typically these little tykes envision a stranger as a hairy, scary monster or snaggle-toothed, grizzly hulk of a man. But what parents often fail to teach their children is that most of the time, the big bad wolf is cleverly disguised in sheep’s clothing with an arsenal of tricks and tools called “lures.” Consider some of these seemingly innocuous scenarios frequently put into practice by predators:

· The Pet Lure: This is one of the most effective and deadly lures where a friendly-looking stranger approaches a child and asks for assistance in finding a nonexistent lost puppy or kitten. Young children are instantly drawn into the concerned pet owner’s story and eagerly start helping by calling out the pet’s name while looking under benches and behind bushes. In the blink of an eye when they have reached the edge of the play area, they are whisked away into the woods or a nearby vehicle.

· The Candy Lure: This old-fashioned trick is still being used with great success by perpetrators who offer a child a piece of candy or a shiny coin. When the child reaches out to take the prize their arm is quickly grabbed, pulling them close enough to be picked up and carried off. This can happen in less than ninety seconds.

· The Assistance Lure: In this scenario, the predator may drive down a street and ask a child if they have seen their lost dog, for directions to the nearest gas station, or for other information. This lure works very much like the candy lure whereupon the child approaches the open window of the car and when they are close enough, their arm or hand is snatched and they are quickly pulled into the vehicle.

· The Emergency Lure: In this type of situation a perpetrator may approach a child in a store or business while insisting there is a fire, burglary, or some other type of emergency in the building and coax the child to step outside. Once outside they can grab the child and run.

· The Authority Lure: A predator may tell a child that Daddy has been in a car accident or Mommy is very sick and wants the child to come home with the nice man. Often the stranger will have an official looking badge they can flash and intimidate the child with, so let your child know that if they are ever in doubt that it’s okay to say “no,” to an authority figure. Instead they should run to a neighbor’s house or find a teacher (if they are at school) and report the incident.

· The Celebrity Lure: Sometimes a perpetrator will try to coax children to come with them by using the lure of a celebrity or icon, such as Barney or Spongebob. Impress upon children that it’s not okay to go anywhere with anyone else no matter how exciting it may sound.

· The Name Lure: Beware of putting your child’s name on clothing, lunch pails, or backpacks that is visible to anyone. Instead write their name on the inside of the garment or school supplies where it cannot be easily seen. This is another age-old lure where the perpetrator uses a child’s name to put them at ease and gain closer access. Ted Bundy used this trick a number of times to approach his victims with great success. Let your children know that just because someone may know their name, it doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

What’s a parent to do when faced with so many dangers? You don’t want your children to fear society as a whole, but you do want to arm them with knowledge. Knowing what types of lures are being used by these wolves in sheep’s clothing will enable you to teach your children life skills they can safely grow up with.

When discussing serious or scary topics, set the appropriate tone by talking calmly to your children. Advise them to run away when a stranger approaches them and get to safety. They should immediately report the incident to a parent or trusted adult in the vicinity who can better assess the situation and take action if necessary. Tell children to ignore requests or questions from people they don’t know, no matter how friendly or official they look or how sad their story may sound. Impress upon them that when grownups really need information or help, they go to other grownups – not children.


Copyright 2006 Charlene Davis
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Charlene Davis (www.thewriteessentials.com) is an internationally published business writer specializing in start-up ventures, e-commerce, parenting, and food.