Teach Kids How To Stay Safe In Crowded Areas

Have you taught your kid simple safety procedures when in crowded areas. Kidnappings are not rare and no one is safe. Don’t be a statistic, follow these easy steps and help your kid avoid being led away by a stranger.

Teach kids how to stay safe in crowded areas

Kidnappings are becoming more commonplace. An article was recently posted on citizen journalism site STOMP about an attempted kidnapping that occurred at the Ang Mo Kio Hub in Singapore. A mother turned her back on her son for a split second and when she turned around, her son was being led away by another woman.

When confronted, the woman claimed she had mistaken the boy for her own child and brushed off the incident. However, when the mother asked her child what happened, he told her that the woman asked him to follow her home.

A story like this is sure to send chills down any parent’s spine, but it also raises awareness about the importance of teaching kids how to react in such situations. Here are some ways that parents can educate their kids on how to stay safe in crowded areas.

1. Don’t panic

This is an essential tip for parents and children alike. The initial moments of realisation after losing your kid can be absolutely terrifying. Focus, it’s very important to regain composure--panicking leads to poor decision making.

2. Don’t wander further away

Reassure your children that you will always be looking for them if they ever go missing and they should not try to wander away to look for you. Ask them to stay where they are and alert a trustworthy adult that they have been separated from their parents. Younger children can also be equipped with a noise-making device such as a whistle to use in crowded places.

3. Teach them how to spot a trustworthy adult

Every child should be taught to recognise authority figures like policemen and security personnel so they can ask for help if needed. Mothers with children are also a safe bet for your children to approach. When you enter a crowded shopping mall, tell your children that they can ask salespeople or cashiers to bring them to the information counter so that you can be alerted on the loudspeaker.

4. Ensure that your children know your full name and contact number

Children are most comfortable referring to their parents as "Mummy" and "Daddy", but explain to them that they’ll need to refer to you by your full name when asking for help from stranger. It’s also imperative that they memorise at least two emergency contact numbers if someone offers them a mobile phone to use. Parents should also provide their older children with mobile phones so that they can contact you immediately.

If they are approached by a stranger:

1. Rehearse common ways that strangers approach children

The best way to help children understand "stranger danger" is to rehearse situations with them and explain the best way to react. Tell them to never follow a stranger who says he wants to give them money/candy, bring them somewhere else or needs help with something.

Remind your child that it’s all right to say ‘No’ to a stranger, even if it may seem rude to do so, because a stranger should ask another adult for help if he really needs it. The most important thing to teach children is to never get into a stranger’s car without your direct consent, even if the person knows your full name or where you work.

2. Teach them ways to draw attention

Tell your kids that it’s all right to scream, kick or punch if a stranger tries to drag or carry them to into a car or building without their consent. Even though they probably won’t be strong enough to overpower their abductor, this scene will definitely draw attention from helpful bystanders.

3. Have a safe word for trustable adults in their life

Many parents have taken to using a ‘safe’ word to help children set apart adults that are truly close family friends, from those who merely claim to be. Make sure the word is easy to remember and tell your child that he is not supposed to tell anyone else the safe word.

It works as sort of a password for children to find out if the adult is to be trusted. For example, if you need a friend to pick your child up from school for any reason, your child should ask your friend for the ‘safe word’ before leaving with them.

Written by

Felicia Chin

Child Safetycrowd