Keeping Your Child Safe

Inside Rules

Children should know their complete home address, telephone number including area code, and parents' first and last names.

If children are old enough to answer the telephone, they should be taught how to dial 911. Practice with the receiver button taped down.

Children should be taught not to reveal any personal information about themselves or their family (their name, address, school) over the phone or to a stranger without a parent's permission.

If children are home alone and answer the telephone, teach them to say that the parent cannot come to the phone right now and take a message, or ask the person to call again later.

Have a "code" worked out with your children if you don't want them to answer any telephone calls but yours when they are home alone.

Teach your children not to open the door until they know the identity of the person knocking. Then teach them to whom they are allowed to open the door to. Just because they know the person at the door does not mean they should open the door to them.

Children should be taught how to lock and unlock the doors in the home.

Outside Rules

Establish a system of accountability. Learn the full names, addresses, and telephone numbers of your children's friends and parents. Verify the information with the parents of your child's friend. Learn the "rules" of the friends' houses. Who will be there when your child is there? The parents? Other children? Other neighbors? Will the children be alone?

Know your children's routes to and from school, the playground, best friends' houses. Insist that the children stick to that route, NO SHORTCUTS! If you have to look for the children, you will know where to begin.

Children need to be taught never to go anywhere with anyone, on foot or in a vehicle, without parent permission. This includes getting permission a second time if plans change and calling home for permission to go to a different friend's houses or play location.

Teach children not to play in isolated areas of parks and playgrounds. The "buddy" system should be used to enter public restrooms.

Teach your children what to do if they are walking to school or to a friend's house and they are being bothered or followed. Walk these common routes with your children and point out safe locations. A safe location can be a school, library, police station, store, or neighbor's house, anywhere that they can find a responsible adult or lots of people.

Knocking on the door of a stranger is a last resort. If the child has no other choice because someone is bothering or following them, teach them to select a house with lights on at night or a house with children's toys visible. Teach the child to ask the person who answers the door to phone the police because they are being followed or bothered BUT teach them NOT to go inside a stranger's house.

If there is no safe place for your child to receive help, teach your child to run away as fast as possible, screaming and yelling for help to attract as much attention as possible.

Teach your child not to approach a car that stops and asks for help or directions. Most responsible adults would not ask a small child for directions anyway. If the car follows them or anyone gets out of the car and approaches them, teach them to run to a safe place screaming and yelling as fast as they can.

Bad Guy Rules

Teach children that bad guys might act nice and even offer gifts of toys or money. Make sure that they know NOT to accept gifts from strangers.

Teach children that bad guys lie and that they should not believe them. Especially if the stranger tells them things like, "Your mom told me to pick you up after school," or "Can you help me find my lost puppy?"

Bad guys even use threats like, "I'll hurt your mother if you don't come with me right now."

Teach children that bad guys are people who ask them to violate family rules, including someone telling your child that they don't need permission to get a ride home, or that it is okay to come into a house without mom's permission, or, "Let's keep this a secret."

TO HELP PROTECT YOUR CHILD

Don't let your child wear clothing with his or her name on it. A child will tend to pay attention to anyone calling him or her by name.

Videotape and take photos of your child two or three times per year, including profile shots.

Do not leave a child unattended while shopping, visiting with neighbors or friends, or running errands. Under no circumstances should you leave a child alone in a car or truck.

Make sure your child always checks with you before going anywhere with anyone.

Make sure your child learns his or her address and phone number at an early age. A second phone number of a friend or relative is also helpful.

Teach your child how to make a collect phone call, and to begin with "Operator...I'm in trouble; I need your help."

If your child is a latch-key kid, make sure that he or she knows to keep all doors and windows locked, never let anyone know that he or she is alone, and never let anyone in the house, not even someone claiming to be a police officer or from the fire department. Those kinds of professionals know to forcibly enter in case of an emergency.

Have your child fingerprinted  (SafeSam ID-Kits are available from Child Search®).

Know whether your child is left or right handed.

Keep a written record of all birthmarks, scars and identifying features, like moles or freckles.

Keep a growth chart of your child; know his or her height.

Make sure your child knows to scream and run if approached in an alarming way by anyone. Your child should be taught to ALWAYS tell you immediately if he or she is approached by a stranger who asks for help, offers candy/gifts, or frightens him/her in anyway. Your child should know to make you aware of anytime he or she feels uncomfortable with ANYONE.

WAYS TO HELP PROTECT YOUR CHILD WHILE HE OR SHE IS ON THE INTERNET

Personal supervision is the best way to protect your child while he or she is online. For those times when personal supervision is not possible the following rules are suggested:

Make it a condition of use that your child must always ask your permission before using the internet.

Teach your child to never give out personal information online including pictures of anyone. Other personal information that should never be given out online includes real names, age, race, address, city, telephone number(s), names or location of his or her school (including the name of the school's teams), family income, names of friends, passwords, credit card information. Information you send or receive over the internet is NOT private.

Be SURE that your child understands that he or she should NEVER enter chat areas or have private chats without your permission.

Your child should be taught that if someone says or does something that frightens him or her, he or she should not respond to that person, but tell you right away. Your child should know to make you aware of anytime he or she feels uncomfortable with ANYONE.

An absolute must is that your child should NEVER arrange a face to face meeting with anyone he or she meets online.

Be sure that everyone in your household knows to not open e-mail from anyone he or she doesn't know. Parents should always be shown any such e-mail.

Remember that people are not always whom they claim or appear to be; sometimes adults pretend to be children.

Using software programs that filter or block access to certain web-sites are not sufficient. Ultimately it's up to you to supervise your child's internet use. Be sure to find out about the safety measures that are used anywhere your child has internet access.

WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN DO: Rules For Younger Children

I KNOW my name, address, telephone number, and my parents' names.

I always CHECK FIRST with my parents or the person in charge. I tell them before I go anywhere or get into a car, even with someone I know.

I always CHECK FIRST with my parents or a trusted adult before I accept anything from anyone, even from someone I know.

I always TAKE A FRIEND with me when I go places or play outside.

I SAY NO if someone tries to touch me or treat me in a way that makes me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.

It's OK to SAY NO, and I KNOW that there will always be someone who can help me.

I KNOW that I can TELL my parents or a trusted adult if I feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.

I am STRONG, SMART, and have the right to be SAFE.