Preventing Abduction: Don't Let Someone Lure Your Child Away
If you're a long-time resident of South Florida, you may remember the story of Adam Walsh, the local child whose tragic abduction and murder made national headlines in 1981.
"I still think about it," says Lorraine Greenwood of Weston. To learn how to protect her family, Greenwood and her son Tyler, 9, went to Signature Grand in Davie for a free seminar on child safety. Nearly 400 people attended the November 16 event, which was sponsored by Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, the Broward County Sheriff's Office, and NBC 6.
The Child Lures Community Awareness & Prevention Seminar featured Ken Wooden, a nationally renowned authority on crime. A former investigative reporter turned author, Wooden has appeared on such programs as 48 Hours, Oprah, and CNN to warn the public of the strategies used by criminals to lure unsuspecting young victims.
Trust Your Instinct
A common mistake parents make is to tell their children they can avoid harm by not talking to strangers. Such advice is too simplistic because it doesn't take into account the various ways in which strangers win the trust of their victims and become "friends."
Since offenders have an average of 70 victims before they are caught for the first time, Wooden urged parents to teach their children how to recognize the basic strategies or lures - and to speak up right away when they suspect someone may be a potential threat.
"Trust your instinct. It's the most accurate compass you'll follow for the rest of your life," he said.
Child Safety Checklist:
- First and foremost, teach your children that it is against the law for an adult to make sexual advances on them. For young children, it may be helpful to explain that body parts covered by a bathing suit are to be considered private.
- Develop and maintain a good relationship with your children. Children with emotionally distant parents are especially vulnerable to predatory adults who disguise their true motives behind friendly overtures.
- Keep your children from viewing graphic depictions of sexual behavior on television and in other media. Children who see these images as "normal" may be less inclined to question sexual advances made by adults.
- Get to know your children's friends and their families.
- Monitor your children's saving and spending habits. Unexplained cash or expensive gifts could be a sign of bribery or blackmail by an adult.
- Be wary of anyone with addictive behaviors, such as drinking or gambling.
- Check the credentials of any unfamiliar adult who takes an interest in your children.
- Teach your children not to discuss personal family matters indiscreetly. If your children use the Internet, encourage them to protect your family's privacy online by having them read and sign the Child Lures Family Internet Safety Pact, available at http://www.childluresprevention.com/parents/pact.asp.
- If you had a family emergency and had to send someone to pick up your children from school, do you know what would happen? Find out the school's policy with regard to releasing children to the custody of non-guardians.
- Teach your children to avoid getting too close to strangers in vehicles. A good rule of thumb is for the child to take three giant steps away whenever a stranger pulls up alongside. This establishes enough distance to keep the child from being pulled into the vehicle. For more safety tips and other information on the Child Lures program, visit http://www.childluresprevention.com.