Parents have always warned their children about not talking to strangers, not accepting gifts from strangers, not to listen to a stranger. Many of you will remember the phrase, “stranger danger”, which means that strangers are danger for you. But nowadays parents need to do more than that; they need to keep them safe not only from strangers but also from people they know. According to stats, 43% children are abducted by people from within the family, while 25% are abducted by strangers. In 80% of the kidnappings by strangers, the first interaction between the victim and the kidnapper takes place within a quarter mile of the child’s home! Not only this, they are not even safe online, 1 in 5 children from 10 to 17 years receive unwanted sexual entreats online.
One well-known story is about Elizabeth Smart who was abducted in Salt Lake City. Smart was abducted for nine months by a Brian David Mitchell, a known religious extremist. Smart was abducted when she was just 14-years, after being held in captivity for nine months, she finally escaped after 3 policemen found three strange looking women walking down the street, wearing dirty robes and wigs. The policemen stopped them, one of the officers asked Smart if she was the missing girl. He told her if she spoke up, they would be able to help her and she did. She was lucky to be saved. But not everyone is.
Parents need to act very smartly and consciously today where predators are lurking online and in real life. Like many parents suggest, it is very important to take additional measures to safeguard children, many of them use child locator apps to keep track of their teen’s whereabouts at all times. Here are some steps parents need to ensure to keep their children safe:
Talk Often and Openly
Teach kids to interrupt you immediately if they think they are unsafe, no matter how busy you are. Kids are most liable to be hurt or feel threatened by someone they know more than by a stranger. If someone tries to touch them inappropriately or make them feel uncomfortable, they should come and tell you immediately. Pay attention to their behavior and listen to what they are trying to tell you.
Keep Personal Information Personal
Personal information includes name, phone number, address, family members’ names, the name of your school, friends’ names, social security numbers, etc. At times, teens tend to give out personal information to strangers unknowingly, i.e., to someone they meet at the doctor’s office or anyone they make conversation with. This can be very dangerous, the safety rule is: never give out personal information to strangers and people you don’t feel comfortable with! Give your kids the awareness to deal with situations where someone asks for their personal information and how they should refuse politely.
Always Keep an Eye on Them
Just talking to them and teaching is not enough, you need to step into the digital zone to protect your teen from dangers lurking around them. Use child locator apps to constantly monitor your teen’s location. Like many parents today, be a part of smart parenting and opt digital monitoring apps like FamilyTime to keep your teen safe at all times. FamilyTime is a diverse app and you can download it from Google Play and iTunes app store for free from here:
FamilyTime gives parents the control and option to:
- Keep track of your teen’s whereabouts along with date and time stamps.
- Geo-fence any address i.e. home, school etc. to receive check-in and check-out alerts.
- Receive PickMeUp alerts along with their location.
- Receive SOS alerts from children along with their location when they’re in some emergency.
Make Sure They Meet the Right People
You need to know and require background checks on everyone in contact with your child, including their friends and the people they know. Ask your local police department for online listings of child predators in your area. And be on the lookout for people around you and how your teen behaves around them.
Nothing is More Precious Than Your Children!
Children mean the world to parents; they do all they can in their power to keep them safe. As every parent does, you too need to take extra measure to ensure that your child is safe online and offline. Teach them that not everyone they meet is evil or has bad intentions, but if they feel threatened somehow, they should contact their parents immediately or look for a cop to run for help. Tell them to trust their gut but to be on the safe side, always be there for them because to parents, nothing should come in between their children and their safety!