Kids will be kids and make mistakes no matter what is taught to them. But the more often and better you communicate important information about strangers, how to react in an emergency and who to trust, the less likely your child is to become a victim.

• Know your full name, phone number and address.
• Never be alone off your property. Stay with friends even when going to public lavatories.
• Always get your parent’s OK before going anywhere and phone your parent often.
• Walk only on routes to school and elsewhere 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.
• No headphones or hand-held games to distract you from what’s around.
• If someone comes near you, don’t speak to them other than saying, “Go ask an adult”.
• Never go near someone in a car or truck. Just run the other way toward other people.
• Cute animals and candy are just two tricks used by bad people to get near you.
• Always get your parent’s OK before accepting money or a gift.
• If you see someone doing something wrong, go the other direction.
• Do not have your name printed on anything visible to strangers.
• Give up your valuables if you’re robbed by another kid never fight back.
• Never get money for any school or club project unless your parent is with you.
• Don’t trust anyone who tries to get you to break your parent’s rules.
• Tell your parent about places or people that make you feel unsafe.
• 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.
• If you get lost, go to a store or a home where you know someone is at home. Go anywhere there are people to help you and be loud about it.
• Trust your feelings. If you feel scared, just run away to a safe place. Yell “NO”,then RUN and TELL an adult.
• If someone grabs for you, thrash, fight, bite, and scream, “Help! Police!” repeatedly, shed a jacket or backpack that is grabbed, drop any excess baggage slowing them down, escape to a populated area (stranger safety), and call the police. YELL! RUN! TELL! The kidnapper fears a public spectacle and may simply flee alone.
• What if they have a weapon? Ignore it and run! Weapons are rarely used to threaten a child, and almost never used to harm a child at the kidnapping scene. A kidnapper does not want to attract attention. Besides, if they’re willing to harm a child there, they’re willing to do even worse harm at a secluded location. The same advice still holds true: Shout, “Help! Police!” Get away no matter what! Drop to the ground, kick, hit, bite, and scream then run!
• Hug a tree, pole, or any solid object, or even a bicycle while screaming.
• Run in circles around an object such as a parked car.
• Get under a car (belly up) and hold onto the underside so he can’t drag you out. If he crawls under there after you, get out on the other side.
• Pull a fire alarm.