Child Abductions

[shotochem]

I know there have been many child abductions over the years. There seems to be a new trend. The abductors are getting bolder and more violent. They are grabbing all ages and teens as well. It is time we all started to pay closer attention to all those around us and to tell our children about the dangers and realities of the world today. I would highly recommend that children be taugh self defence and most importantly.....awareness of there surrondings.

 

We all could make a difference.

[LeaF]

sure it is a great idea for people to start learning self defense at a young age!

The abductors are getting bolder and more violent

 

I don't think so, they are just being discussed more. They have been happening for years but they are appearing more and more in the news. If I am correct I believe the number of abductions have actually decreased

[Red J]

One problem is the media is on a roll with this subject. Leaf is correct. There is not an increase in this crime, in fact it is down per capita. Also the overwhelming cases are from relatives, especially estranged spouses and non-custodial parents. The odds are that children are more at risk from falling off of their bikes, scooters, rollerblades etc. and having a fatal injury then they are being abducted. I am not seeing any news about scooters. It just isn't sensational enough, but go to your local ER and they will tell you the dangers.

 

Remember last summer? It was the year of the shark attack. Sharks are still biting people this year although they are getting less mention...old news... Now if the war starts in Iraq soon, you will see less about abductions...guaranteed.

 

Now don't get me wrong, abductions are a scary thing, and children need to be taught to be aware of their surroundings (and also properly supervised). No doubt children need to be kept in sight because there are kooks out there.

[Pacificshore]

You are correct in that this type of crime has been going on for some time and it is just not being covered properly. That's all because of the media. The media can either help or hurt when it comes to reporting certain stories. You gotta remember that it is all about the media's rating. Sensationalized stories sell, others don't.

 

It is the role of the parents to educate their children about the dangers of the world. Yes, I believe that it would be a great idea to enroll your kids into a martial arts school to learn self defense. But that is only part of a whole. One of the biggest thing to teach your kids is simple COMMON SENSE.

 

Unfortunately given todays society, it is often times difficult for parents to be around their kids all the time to properly guide them. However, I say that they should prioritize their time by making their family first and everything else second. There could be nothing worse than the loss of your child or any loved one for that matter, especially if it could have been prevented. Just my 2cents.

[KickChick]

When I was younger I only had three rules to follow ... which were: never take money, candy, or other gifts from a stranger, never take a ride in a strange car with a person you do not know, never go anywhere with a stranger. That seemed to be sufficient .... then!

 

Now parents MUST make their children aware. Seems there are parents that don't want to scare their children but it is necessary to talk to your children realistically about these abductions.

 

When I sit with my little guy watching the news and photos of abducted children appear on the screen and we "talk" about it. I explain to him what happened and what he should do if he ever finds himself in an abduction situation. All 3 of my children have martial arts experience.

 

Another threat is the internet with teenagers. I have our family computer in our "family" room. Many teens nowadays have their computers in their rooms and are not supervised. This is not to say that all teens are doing anything wrong .... but you have to be aware of what they are using the internet for and if they are chatting with people they don't know and to be sure they are not arranging "meetings" on the net. My son and daughter are constantly "chatting" but the IM's are from their friends and they are not allowed to use chat rooms.

 

Here are other tips that can help parents:

 

Create a secret password that must be used to get your child to go with another person. Practice it often

 

Teach your child to call 911 from a pay phone, and leave it off the hook so the operator can verify the location

 

Show your child how to set off a car alarm or fire alarm to draw attention to the situation

 

Teach children how to talk to strangers so they can seek help in a scary situation

 

Child should never tell a caller that no one is at home. Instead, he or she should say that parents can't come to the phone

 

Child should never open the door to anyone except people they and their parents have agreed on

 

Child should avoid going into public restrooms alone

 

Child should know how to lock and unlock different types of car and truck doors, as well as home doors and windows

 

Here in CT we have the Amber Alert System ... a statewide kidnapping alert system http://www.missingkids.com/html/amberplan.html

[CheekyMusician]

I must admit, I'm glad I'm not a parent in this day and age. I'd be constantly worried!

 

When my big sister and I were kids (we're 21 and 17 now), my mum wouldn't let us play outside. We were allowed to play in our garden and no where else. My mum never used babysitters, or even allowed friends to watch us: she would either take us with her and my dad, leave us with our gran, or cancel any plans she'd made and not go out.

 

She never took her eyes off us.

 

My dad thinks she was overprotective, but I think she was just sensible. The world is a dangerous place these days, and little ones are totally innocent and naive. Kids just don't think about danger, they always think the best of people and put their full trust in them.