Essential Tips: What to do when confronted by strangers. Make sure your child knows these and is prepared to use them. Clarify this would be the time to be feisty and defiant.
Strangers common tricks: asking for help finding a lost pet, asking for directions, impersonating a policeman or someone his parent’s sent to pick him up.
Run from strangers immediately, quickly and yelling as they do. A personal alarm would be even better than yelling. They should yell, NO! I DON'T know you! or Stranger!
Children need to know if they are grabbed they must do all they can to escape. There is no wrong thing to do at this point. Screaming, squirming, kicking, biting, scratching, poking and yelling are all viable options. They could yell, “Stranger! Stranger!- This is not my Mom/Dad!” Teach them to grab any large object: fence, tree, pole, bike, or even another person.
Teach them to constantly look for ways to escape, and never give up. If they can get a hold of the car keys they should do so and toss them as far as possible. This is THE time for a child to be feisty!
If the child is put in the trunk he should be taught to kick out the tail lights or use anything he finds to make noise.
One last thought, play the “What if…?” Game. Take turns thinking of situations and what one would do in those situations. While it's not a fun game, for you or them, it can help a child think quickly if he's ever in that situation. It will encourage awareness of surroundings, and the realization these things can happen to anyone/anytime.
Make these self defense techniques for children a comfortable and regular practice. Talk about them freely. Keep all communication with your child frequent and comfortable.
Common Myths about women and self defense in our next blog...
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