Stranger Safety and Kidnapping Prevention
You may have recently seen a story in the news about an attempted abduction of a Wake County child. In light of this incident, we wanted to remind parents to reinforce to your children the importance of being alert, as well as how to respond in such a situation.
- Don’t talk to strangers.
- Don’t take anything from strangers.
- Don’t go anywhere with someone you don’t know.
- If you are approached by a stranger, seek help immediately.
- If you are alone, run away from the situation.
- Use the buddy system. Avoid walking anywhere alone.
- If parents are able, walk with your child to school or partner with a trusted adult to walk your children to school.
- When seeking help, always go to a trusted adult – teacher, coach, police officer, other parent, or older siblings.
- If a stranger grabs you, do everything you can to stop them from pulling you away. Drop to the ground, kick, hit, bite, and scream. Do whatever it takes to attract the attention of others who can help you.
- Report any suspicious activity to your school and police department.
When children hear about traumatic incidents such as this, it is not unusual for them to feel anxious, sad, fearful, angry, or vulnerable. Through encouraging discussion, being supportive of feelings and suggesting positive actions, you can help your child better deal with this event.
There are several ways that you can provide support. Please be aware of your child’s activity on social media. In times of uncertainty, adolescents will often share their emotions with peers on social media so it’s important that you are aware of their messaging. Also, please talk with your child about healthy ways to deal with emotions. Adolescents may need encouragement to work through challenges by talking to their parents, teachers, counselors, or other supportive adults.
If you are concerned about your child’s adjustment to this news, please reach out to your child’s counselor.