Guard
Your Child Against Abduction
Adrian H. Cline,
Superintendent
No one likes to think about child abduction, but it is often
in the news. It is not just happening in
other states or towns, it can happen in your neighborhood. Fortunately, there are some precautions you
can take to help keep your child safe:
·
Explain the
danger, and set stringent rules.
·
Teach your
children how and where to reach you, and how to dial 911 for emergencies.
·
Role-play
possible situations so appropriate responses will be understood and become
automatic.
·
Teach a
child how to describe a person who might approach him or her.
·
Never leave
your child unattended in a vehicle.
·
Provide
constant, reliable supervision for your child when at a playground or in public
places such as shopping malls and grocery stores.
·
Young
children should be supervised even while playing in the front yard.
·
Child
predators are not always strangers. If
your child seems uncomfortable around an adult, talk to the child and find out
why.
·
If someone
confronts a child while he or she is outside, tell the child to turn and run to
a home or business and ask for help.
·
Teach
children to yell, kick, and scratch if someone tries to abduct them.
·
Give
children specific names of relatives, family, or friends that they may go
with. Make it clear that there will be
no exceptions.
Keep your children safe.
Repeat instructions as often as possible. Remember, children learn through repetition
and reinforcement.
Suggestions
for Improving Communication with Children
Be interested. Ask children about their
ideas and opinions on a regular basis.
Let them know you are genuinely interested.
Ask open-ended questions.
Ask
questions that will encourage them to open up.
For example, you might start out with “What problem seems to be the most
troublesome for you just now?”
Extend the conversation.
Try
to pick up a part of children’s conversation and respond to their statements by
asking questions.
Share your thoughts. Share with children what
you are thinking and feeling. This is
not an invitation to preach; it is an opportunity to let them know you
understand them.
Reflect feelings. Empathy is vital. It is important for children to know that you
can put yourself in their shoes and understand their behavior. You need not agree with them, but it is
important that they know you recognize their position.
Clarify and relate. As you listen, try to
make children’s feelings clear by stating them in your words. In this way you will let them know you are
really hearing what they are attempting to tell you. Your larger vocabulary can help them see what
they are attempting to tell you more fully and accurately.
See the signs. Watch for signs that
subtly tell you that the conversation has come to a difficult point or is over
for now. When children begin to stare
into space or make silly statements, it may be their way of telling you that
it’s time to quit. If you have done a
good job, the lines of communication can be reopened again and again.
The Office of Adrian H.
Cline, Superintendent, is open from