Stranger Danger
vs
Stranger Safety
FAQ

A parent's greatest instinct is to protect their child. But teaching them the traditional ‘Stranger Danger’ warnings often fail because kids are naturally friendly, and "bad people" don't always look scary.

Stranger kidnappings (long-term) are rare, but short-term molestations (and attempts) are more common (see Child Safety- Overview). In any case, most good people are very ready to help a child in trouble – IF they realize the child needs help. 

This page has a complete checklist focusing on the behaviors of "tricky" people – like a stranger asking your child for help - or to break your rules.

Make sure your child knows how to alert good strangers for help in an emergency by repeatedly yelling "NO!" or "Help! Police!"

Also see "Free Play in a Safe Range" on Free-Range Kids vs Safe-Range Kids. Especially see "Stranger Danger Escape Lessons" on child safety - kidnapping.

Child Safety Tips for Stranger Danger

STAYING SMART
► Know your full name, your parent's phone number, and address.
► Always get your parent’s OK before going anywhere – and phone your parent often.
► Walk only on routes that your parent has scouted out with you and pointed out safe places along the way. And never walk through parking lots or take other shortcuts.
► Have a secret code word for emergencies. If you phone your parent while you’re with someone who scares you, you can say the code word to secretly let your parent know that you need help.
► Never get money for a school or club project unless your parent is with you.
► Always get your parent’s OK before accepting money or a gift.
► Tell your parent about places or people that make you feel unsafe.
► Do not trust tricky people who try to get you to break your parent’s rules.

STAYING SAFE
► Never be alone off your property. Stay with friends – even when going to public lavatories.
► No headphones or hand-held games to distract you from what’s around.
► If an adult asks for help, tell him to "Go ask an adult.”
► If an adult in a car or truck asks for help, just run toward other people.
► Cute pets and candy are tricks used by bad people to get near you.
► If you see someone doing something wrong, go the other way.
► Do not have your name printed on anything strangers can see.
► Give up your stuff if you’re robbed by another kid.

Your Escape Plan IF You Feel Scared

► If you feel scared, just run away to a safe place where people are. Yell “NO!” then RUN and TELL an adult. Start blowing your whistle, or pull the pin on your noisemaker while running to anywhere there are people to help you – and be loud about it. (Instead of hanging a whistle around his/her neck on a cord that can be used to strangle, use a beaded-metal chain that breaks too easily for strangling. Or wear a whistle on a wrist bracelet or strap.)

► If someone grabs for you, thrash, fight, bite, and yell "NO!" over and over, wiggle out of a jacket or backpack that is grabbed, drop anything you're carrying, run to a place with people, and call the police. YELL! RUN! TELL! A kidnapper is afraid of witnesses seeing him and may simply flee alone.

► What if he has a weapon? Ignore it and run! Weapons are rarely ever used to harm a child at the kidnapping scene. That would ruin his plans for a healthy victim. Besides, if he’s willing to harm a child there, he’s willing to do even worse harm at a secluded location.

Your Escape Plan IF You're Being Chased

► Keep yelling "NO!"

► Pull the pin on your personal noisemaker alarm.

► If you see a fire alarm - pull it.

► If you're on your bicycle, cling onto it - wrapping your arms and legs around it so you can't be easily shoved into a car or easily carried.

► Hug a tree, pole, or any solid object.

► Run in a circle around an object such as a parked car or a tree, then suddenly run toward people while yelling "NO!"

► See Child Safety Kidnapping Escape for physical self-defense and more. 

Set Your Boundaries

Don't turn your back on someone you don’t trust – keep watching him. If he begins to approach you, raise one hand in a “STOP!” gesture, grab your whistle (or noisemaker alarm) with your other hand, and fiercely tell him to "Stay away from me!"

If he's still coming toward you, run to safety while blowing your whistle (or pull the pin on your noisemaker alarm), and yelling, “NO!” Run to anywhere there are people to help you (stranger safety).

[Btw, females commit ~20% of violent crimes (per the FBI), and ~10% of child molestations. So evaluate ALL strangers by their behavior and red flags.]

Personal Safety Devices

► Personal Security Alarm (a.k.a. noisemaker or screamer). Most predators won’t chase a noisy target.
► A whistle worn around the neck (but use a beaded-metal chain – it’s too weak to strangle. Or wear a whistle on a wrist bracelet or strap).
► GPS Child Locator: a child tracking device.

NOTICE: This non-profit website is for informational purposes only and is drawn from the bibliography and USDOJ. Use the information at your own risk. See disclaimers.

Crime-Safety-Security > Child Safety Overview > Stranger Danger

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