Stranger danger - do you teach your children not to talk with strangers?

Question

Do you define who a stranger is ? What about helping children develop a plan if they are out alone and feel unsafe? Do you see child murders/abductions and sexual assault an issue in society? Do you take percautions if you see an odd bod who you think might be a bit strange -and you are a parent?

I suppose what i mean by odd bods is that their behaviour sticks out. For example parking your car on the footpath which forces people to go behind, or putting $2 in ride for a child they dont know or holding an inappropriate discussion with a young girl. Or strnge car that you have not seen before. I keep a list of things that stick out and I have been able to help the police. I wander if other people keep a list.

Answer 1

Nope. I encourage my kids to talk to strangers. With my supervision. Then I ask them to use their knowledge, inner voice, whatever you want to call it, as to whether they would/should trust that person.
Kids are going to talk to strangers. Its proven. It is far better to teach them instincts and confidence.
For example, after I put petrol in my car, I allow my son to go in and pay for it for me.
I try to educate my children as to what schemes someone may use to try to trick them. We roleplay. eg. "come and see my new puppy" they say "I'll just go tell my mum"
Their plan, if they are lost, is to go and tell a woman or someone in uniform/someone who works there. As soon as they were able I taught them my cell phone number. Before that, I wrote it on their arm if we were in a crowded place and they might get lost.
It is an issue. But realistically, what else can we do but take every precaution?
Odd bods. Ha. I suppose so. But then again, I look at pictures of serial killers, and they all look so NORMAL. It would be so much easier if they grew horns!

Answer 2

I teach my kids not to talk to strangers at all. Sometimes when I'm with them and happen to talk to a stranger, my 6 year old would ask why am I talking to someone I don't know. I would explain that it's because I am an adult and I know how to speak to a stranger; a kid doesn't have the right tools and is therefore in danger.

I also teach my kids to take precautions with familiar people. For instance, no one would just budge to pick them up from school. I tell them whom I wrote in the forms in case of emergency. This person would have been contacted by the authorities and they wouldn't just come and say I sent them. Some people even use secret codes.

Even familiar people, friends & relatives have boundaries and my kids know that. They know that nobody should ever tell them not to tell ME anything! If someone ever does that, they should come and tell me because what that person did would be wrong.

Answer 3

I am a parnet and I ask my child when she was 9 to draw a picture of a stranger, she drew a picture of a guy with a long hair and an earring. I told her that stranger come in every size shape and color.
I spent a lot of time playing games that educated her, concerning people that prey on children.
My mom had a fit but as soon as my child was old enough I sat her down and told her the truth, a lot of people are sick!

Answer 4

keep a list of odd behaviour where do you live? i am a parent and i have said to my son that if ever anyone he doesnt know trys to get him to go somewhere he says no ,if that person trys to force him to do anything he screams his little head off.there is another side to this though my fathr was in a shopping centre when a boy of about 3 wandered out a shop on his own my dad tried to see a parent and couldnt so went after him and tried to get him back to the shop the child started screaming and people were actually stopping to watch you can imagine how my dad felt.the mother after A GOOD 10 MINS came out looking for him shouted at the child for wandering off and went back into the shop.my dad was left feeling awful.i think we need to explain to a child what we mean by stranger danger.too often a child has had it drummed into them that anyone they dont know who speaks to them is a "bad man" really sad if you ask me.

Answer 5

Yes. BUT, children naturally approach people that I would NEVER approach; people who look like ME!

I am 6'2" tall and a weighlifter. Not a bodybuilder, a weighlifter. That means I have very big shoulders, big chest, large hips and legs. I weigh 274 pounds and dress somewhat construction and I do not smile; always wearing dark sunglasses.

For some reason, small children always come up to me to talk to me, walk around me, etc. I look in the mirror and think, wow, don't mess with this guy. But little kids seem to love being around big people. I do not get it. But that is what is happening.

I am not rude to them. I talk if they talk to me. But it AMAZES me how many parents walk away to go shopping when their children are talking to me. I once was working outside where I was using an axe. A child about age 7 came up to me to ask me what I was doing. The mother, 2 houses down, asked him where he was at; he told her, she said OK, and went back into the house!!

Excuse me? I DO have an axe in my hands. As a parent, I would have flipped upon seeing that. Aparently big people are not dangerous after all...

Answer 6

In when we were Very youthful through A.A. Milne there's a poem referred to as Independence the position a touch boy's mom is going wandering and receives herself lost a lot to the little boy's chagrin. I continuously got here across it to be an amusing little tale that childrens celebrate with and teaches them no longer to wander.

Answer 7

i think everyone the child doesnt know is a stranger.
our society sends the child mix messages.
while we preach dont talk to strangers, society tells people it is okay to say hello to a child to be polite but it is introducing a stranger into there life.
why do people just not smile at the child and carry on. why do they need to say hi little fellow and wait for a response.

Answer 8

Unfortunately strangers are not the greatest danger. Facts are that victims very often know their attackers or abusers. We should try to make our children aware of anybody who may approach them in an inappropriate way.

Answer 9

I really don’t think most people bother to teach their kids that. I don’t even like kids but they walk right up to me and ask questions. I really don’t know why. But on the other hand strange dogs walk right up to me as well.

Maybe I because I am no threat to them, so I don’t frighten anyone.

I came across your question while looking for somting else. I had to comment.

Answer 10

I tell my kids to always be very aware of the first adult that might approach them. BUT, if they're feeling worried about the first adult's behavior, I tell my kids to immediately find a second adult, who, in all probability, will be completely safe and will likely protect them from the first adult.

Interesting, n'est pas?