What steps can you take to protect your child from a would-be abductor
What you should know about would-be child abductors. What you should teach your child.
What steps can you take to protect your child from a would-be abductor What you should know about would-be child abductors. What you should teach your child. Check out this story on cincinnati.com: https://cin.ci/2yUKlga
Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 9:41 p.m. ET June 28, 2018 | Updated 9:42 p.m. ET June 28, 2018
File photo of a white van.(Photo: Courtesy of the Oshkosh Police Department)
The eerily similar stories of an older child attempting to lure younger children away from two area parks understandably have some parents feeling concern and looking for ways to protect their children.
More: 'Can I have her now?' Mothers report similar suspicious park encounters
While most experts agree that non-family abductions are rare, many parents work to educate their children on "stranger danger" tips and advice. In reality, abductions typically involve someone the child knows such as a family member or a family friend.
Non-family abductions are so rare that Cindy Rudometkin of the Polly Klaas Foundation said it's difficult to say what is typical and what is atypical. The situation of an unknown child approaching another child in effort to lure them away falls into this category. While rare, it's not an unheard of situation, she said.
As example, Rudometkin referenced the case of Steven Stayner, a 7-year-old who was abducted by a child molester and held captive for seven years.
"It is well documented that his abductor used Steven as a lure to attempt to abduct other children," she said. This occurred back in the 1970s in California."
(Photo: GETTY IMAGES)
Education is key
To reduce the risk of abduction, education is vital for both parents and children.
This education should not focus on the traditional stranger danger alone for the reasons mentioned above. KidSmartz, a child safety program through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, advises on its website that parents should learn when and where children are most vulnerable. Children should be taught how to take action.
An analysis conducted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children of abduction attempts finds that many:
Involved a suspect driving a vehicle
Occurred between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Occurred when the child was traveling to or away from school
Involved girls and children between the ages of 10 and 14
The center's review also revealed that 83 percent of children who escaped a would-be abductor did something proactive: they walked/ran away, yelled, kicked, or pulled away.
Given this, the website advises parents to teach their children how to take action.
KidSmartz recommends these tips:
Point out places your child/children can go for help when walking places like school and the park
Remind them to travel and stay with a group
Warn them about accepting rides or changing plans without your permission
Teach them the tricks would-be abductors use such as offering money or asking for help
Encourage them to tell a trusted adult whenever anything or anyone makes them uncomfortable.
For other tips and information visit KidSmartz website, www.kidsmartz.org, or the Polly Klaas Foundation website, www.pollyklaas.org, to download a free safety kit.
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