Child Safety
Outdoors

Outdoor threats to Child Safety include both molesters and kidnappers.

Austria is still reeling over revelations that a kidnapped schoolgirl spent 8 1/2 years imprisoned in an underground cell. It was a sober reminder that even in this carefree, alpine country, where incidents of kidnapping are among the lowest in the European Union, there are predators stalking its children. ... 200 youths under 18 are registered as missing in Austria. Although most turn out to be runaways who return home after a short time, or children abducted by a parent involved in a messy divorce, a few each year simply vanish the way Natascha Kampusch - now 18 - did as a 10-year-old girl walking to school on March 2, 1998.
Excerpted from The Associated Press – 01 September 2006

From “The Kidnapping of Juveniles” – US Department of Justice - July 2000 (an unprecedented analysis of child safety - kidnapping):

• Family members commit 49 percent of kidnappings. Stemming from a divorce and custody dispute, usually it’s fathers kidnapping their own child, but mothers often do, too. 4 percent of family kidnappings result in injury.
• Acquaintances commit 27 percent of kidnappings. Usually, these are boyfriends or ex-boyfriends of the child's mother kidnapping adolescent girls, but family friends and employees sometimes kidnap children in their care. 24 percent of acquaintance kidnappings result in injury.
• Strangers commit 24 percent of kidnappings. 16 percent of stranger kidnappings result in injury.

Child safety of the past always warned children to beware of strangers. But now we learn the child usually knows the kidnapper. Besides, to a child, a stranger quickly becomes an acquaintance – once the child learns his name, he’s no longer a stranger.

Simply, whether acquaintance or stranger – the child should be alert to his intent to get the child alone – or into his car. The bottom line in child safety: teach your child, “Do NOT go off with anyone!” See the escape techniques in Child - Kidnapping Escape.

Other US Department of Justice studies show (contrary to the above stats) that more than 700,000 children are reported missing each year. Roughly 140,000 of those are runaways or temporarily lost, 500,000 are kidnapped in a parental custody dispute, and 58,000 are kidnapped by acquaintances or strangers.

The 50-100 victims who are murdered and another 50-100 who are ransomed or taken permanently are relatively rare each year. However, the 58,000 children kidnapped by acquaintances or strangers (mostly for short-term sexual molestation) are, contrary to the typical law-enforcement spokesperson’s misinformation, certainly not rare. Along with FBI estimates of another 150,000 failed kidnapping attempts, more than 200,000 children are targeted each year! That gives parents 200,000 reasons to remain hyper-vigilant – not "paranoid," but always choosing child safety over convenience.

The parents of a 5-year-old girl kidnapped kicking and screaming from a Stanton CA townhouse complex said they had moved to the neighborhood hoping for safer streets. A year later, those streets are lined with posters featuring photos of Samantha Runnion, the missing girl, and a police sketch of her abductor, who lured the girl by saying he needed help finding his dog. He raped and murdered her.
Excerpted from The Associated Press – 16 July 2002

• "Your mother's been in an accident and they sent me to pick you up." (A secret codeword will thwart that ploy.)
• "I'm lost. Just get in the car and show me and I'll bring you right back."
• "I'm lost. What? I can’t hear you. Come closer to my car.”
• "I've lost my puppy. Can you help me find it? Come see this picture of my puppy.”
• "I've just found some money. Come with me and I'll share it with you." (Or other bribes.)
• A man with his arm in a sling and a load of books asking for help.
• Some predators even have bogus police uniforms and gear. Don’t trust a “cop” without a real police car.

A foremost lesson in outdoor child safety: kids must know to instantly run away in the opposite direction that the car is headed and immediately tell an adult what happened. Teach your children to trust only a uniformed police officer with a real police car.

Even after they’ve been warned of the above lures, child safety studies show that kids still fall for them because the kidnapper looks and acts so nice and friendly. Of course, kids are naturally leery of scruffy, seedy, menacing men – in short, scary men. But what about the more common kidnapper – the gentle, charming, cuddly, “big teddy-bears?”

Bad men may look like fathers and uncles and neighbors because they are the fathers and uncles and neighbors of other kids. For child safety, teach your child to be leery of anyone trying to take the child anywhere.

Witnesses see the victim with the kidnapper 37 percent of the time – without realizing it until afterward. These child safety scenarios are subtle. For instance: about to enter a shopping mall, a woman passed a man leaving with a crying boy who clearly didn’t want to go. She stopped short, not sure of what to do. Was this man the boy's father?

She said to the boy, “Well, it looks like you don’t want to leave.” The man replied, “Dinner’s waiting at home.” The boy added, “But we didn’t go to the pet store.” The man said, “Mom’s coming here tomorrow. You can see the puppies then.” She was satisfied with that – the relationship between the two seemed legitimate.

When you see an adult leading a reluctant child, you might ask the child, “Is that your Daddy?” If you feel suspicious, at the very least, get the vehicle’s license plate number and call 911 immediately. Your concern for child safety may save a child.

An eight-year-old girl was murdered at a shopping centre. Police say her brother and her uncle went to a male toilet while she went to a female toilet alone.
Excerpted from ABC-TV Australia – 27 June 2006

• Get your child a noisemaker alarm (the “pin-pull” type) to be attached to a belt - see www.guarddog.net. Engrave your name and phone number on the back of it.
• Never leave your child unattended for even a moment. Parks and shopping malls are especially high risks. If you get separated within a crowd of adults, crouch down and look for your child's feet – they’ll be easier to spot. If no luck, loudly yell "Help! My child is missing!" People will respond. Notify staff personnel immediately.
• If ever separated from you while shopping, make sure your child knows to go to a cashier, uniformed guard, or to a woman with children – and to never leave the store,
• Never let a child under age 12 go alone to a public lavatory. If the child is of the opposite sex, knock on the door, stick your head in to check it out, and then guard the door. Or take a younger child to your bathroom with you – just make an announcement as you enter.
• Never leave your child unattended in a video arcade, movie theater, playground, or toy store.
• Never leave your child unattended in a car – especially with the keys in the ignition. Small retailers see it every day. If ever you see such an appalling violation of child safety, call the police immediately. Foolish parents need a harsh lesson.
• Don’t display your child’s nametags to enable a stranger to more easily approach them.
• Child molesters usually look for lone children. Don't let your children be alone off their own property.

David E. Maust lured teen boys to his home in the same manner as serial killer John Wayne Gacy – offering money, alcohol and jobs. Police dug for several days in his basement and retrieved the badly decomposed remains of three teens.
Excerpted from The Chicago Sun-Times – 12 December 2003

• Older kids must always get your OK before going anywhere, getting into any car, or going into any home. They must phone you regularly and have a definite schedule.
• Immediately leave a friend’s house (or anywhere) if they find a gun. Stop, Don’t Touch, Run to Tell You. And never give your child a toy that looks like a real gun.
• Always have at least one friend along when going to a public place – especially a lavatory.
• Walk only on safe routes to school and elsewhere that you’ve scouted out with your child – and avoid walking through parking lots. Point out safe havens along the way. Children should remain in groups.
• Stay beyond “grabbing distance” from anyone in a car trying to talk to them. Run in the opposite direction of anyone following them.
• Go to any populated place for help in an emergency or if they’re lost – and be loud about it.
• Summon passing police officers, not by waving at them, but rather by drawing an outstretched hand toward one’s chest. In other words, use the “come here” gesture.
• Make an emergency collect (free) phone call, and to begin with "Operator, I'm in trouble. I need help."
• Beware of juice bars – notorious hangouts for child molesters hunting for children.
• Give up their valuables if ever they’re robbed – never to fight to keep them and escalate the violence.
• Never solicit funds for any project, especially never door-to-door.
• Always get your OK before accepting money, any gift, or a job.
• Always get your OK before anyone takes his or her picture.
• Tell you if anyone discusses sex or love with him or her.
• Beware of anyone who tries to persuade them to go against your wishes.
• Always tell you if anyone wants to keep a “special secret” from you.

Help protect your child with:
• Child Alarms at www.guarddog.net alert you if your child wanders away beyond 30 feet. A variety of models are available. I highly recommend these if used with the utmost parental discretion.
• Alarms (a.k.a. noisemakers). An attacker won’t likely chase a noisy target. See www.guarddog.net.
• For complete child safety, follow the guidance thoughout Crime-Safety-Security.com, especially Home Security.

By Air
Book early with an airline that keeps lone children on board until other passengers have gotten off, so that the attendant can give them undivided child safety attention. Choose a nonstop flight early in the day to avoid the possibility of cancellation or a missed connection that can mean an unexpected overnight stay.

Several days before, take your child on an airport tour to learn the procedures. Teach your child to trust only uniformed airline staff for help with restroom visits or any questions.

On flight day, arrive extra early, let the ticket agent know that your child will be flying alone, and then stay with your child until departure.

Prepare thorough destination arrangements, too. Make sure the person waiting to pick up your child must show photo ID to the airline before your child is released.

By Bus or Train
Traveling by bus or train is less secure than by air thus you must take more child safety precautions before letting your child travel alone. Age 14 is the minimum recommended. Check with the carrier for rules concerning children. Follow the child safety guidelines above for air travel. Also, have the child inform each bus driver. Make sure any youngster travelling alone by bus or train is extremely well prepared and self-sufficient.

Find all of child safety here:
• Child Safety - Overview
• Child - Molester Safety: the subtle warning signs.
• Child Safeguarding from molesters, bullies, and more.
• Child - Internet Safety: the dangers & safeguards.
• Child - Outdoor Safety: staying out of harm’s way. (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE)
• Child - Kidnapping Escape from a monster.
• Recap: a summary of this section.
• Personal Security Products

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