Abducted Children: Tips to Thwart a Kidnapping Attempt

Speaking to our children today is becoming more and more involved. When once the usual conversation of “Birds and Bees” was nerve-racking enough, add to it now the safety issues we see each day in the news involving child abduction.

We teach our childrento brush their teeth to keep them healthy. We teach them to wear a helmet so as to not suffer serious injury to their heads. We teach them to buckle their seat belts when in a car. All of these instructions are aimed at keeping them safe.

But when was the last time you told your child what to do if someone snatches them from the sidewalk or lures them into a car?

According to a 2006 study by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, of the 403 attempted stranger kidnappings that had been reported in 45 states dated between February of 2005 and July of 2006, 60% of victims who fought their attackers escaped. While 30% of these victims ran away before physical contact was made, only 10% were saved by an intervening adult. Give your children these simple tips to help keep them safe if they are ever confronted with this situation:

• Think Fast and act Bravely: Tell your child that even though they may be afraid, they must act bravely and think quickly to get away. Remind them of a time when they behaved in a similar fashion; keeping a family pet from danger or avoiding a scary situation at home, like a minor fall, by acting quickly and wisely.
• Scream and Run: Tell your child that if someone grabs at them that they are to immediately scream and run in the opposite direction in a zigzag pattern to another adult for help. This may seem like a contradiction but since most adults are friendly and helpful, explain to your child that in that situation, finding a trustworthy adult as quickly as possible is important.
• Scream, Kick, Bite, Pinch and Yell out: If they are grabbed, teach your child to scream out saying, “This is not my parent! This is a stranger! Help me!” And to fight the person as hard as they can by twisting their bodies or arms from any grip and by punching, hitting and kicking. Tell them that at that time, hitting is acceptable and warranted.
• Hug Their Bike: Tell your child that if they are grabbed while on their bike, to grab hold and hug their bike. They cannot be easily taken when holding onto something bulky. If they do not have a bike nearby, tell them to grab and hug any large object near them; phone booth, trash can, tree or street sign.
• Use Gum and Candy: Tell your child that if they are put into a car, to lean over and honk the horn or turn the radio up as loud as possible. If they are in the front seat, tell them to jump in the back seat and kick and scream. If the doors in back are not locked, tell them to jump out. If they have gum or candy available and can reach the key’s ignition, tell them they can jamb their gum or candy deep into the hole. Or to grab something small like a twig or stick and break it off inside the key hole. The abductor will not be able to put the keys into the ignition after that.
• Toss the Keys: If your child can reach the keys of the car they are in, tell them to grab the keys and throw them from the car as far as possible.
• Throw Out Trash: Tell your child that any litter in the car, including anything inside the glove box, should be thrown out of the car if possible. This will cause distraction and leave an obvious trail should the car leave the area.
• Anything is a Weapon: Tell your child to look for anything at all that can be used to hit or throw at their attacker. Tell them to open the glove box and to look under seats and that, in this instance, it is acceptable and warranted to throw something at someone.
• If in the Trunk: Tell your child that if they are placed in the trunk of a car that they should always yell loudly and kick constantly while feeling around for anything which can be used to injure their abductor. Tell them that while in the trunk, they should grab at any wires or pop out any tail lights from the inside if possible.

Talking to our children about such serious topics can be uncomfortable. But doing so in a calm and instructional manner can make an enormous difference in their lives.

 Madeleine McCann / Age 4: Missing from Portugal May 3′rd 2008