Are Your Children Safe?

Written by provided by the Missing Children Society of Canada

Over 66,000 children are reported missing each year in Canada. This includes runaways; parental abductions; stranger abductions; and unknowns. As a parent, having your child go missing is your worst nightmare. The good news is that most of these children come back, or are found. The bad news is that some of them don’t. It is for these children that we continue to search.

So, is there any way to guard against an abduction happening to your family? Of course there are no magic formulas or foolproof measures but there are some practical safety tips and advice which the Missing Children Society of Canada hopes will be of use to you and your family.

Talk to your child: This ensures that you are up to date with what is happening in your child’s life ? problems they are facing; new people they have met; activities they are participating in etc.

Listen to your child: Make sure that they feel their life is important and that you are interested in what they are doing, and who they are doing it with. Beware of anyone who shows an extraordinary interest in your child.

Question your child: Know where your child is and who they are with at all times.

Watch your child: Be aware of changes in attitude or behavior ? they could be early indicators of problems which might make them vulnerable to potential abductors. Monitor your child: Use filtering or blocking software on your computer to ward off sexual or inappropriate material and make it as child friendly as possible.

Inform your child: Your child needs to know who they can and can’t trust. This means explaining who is a stranger and who isn’t. For example ? grandma, uncle etc are not strangers, but the postman, neighbor etc are strangers even if you see them every day. Your child also needs to know (off by heart) their full name, address, and phone numbers to call in the event of an emergency - including area code.

Warn your child: Let your child know that they must be careful, that they should never go into somebody else’s house without your permission, that they should always try and travel with a buddy, and that they should never get too close to a car or accept a lift from anyone unless it has already been arranged by you.

Teach your child: Take some time to go through lures that potential abductors might use ? eg. Looking for a lost puppy; giving them a lift because there is a supposed ‘emergency’ at home; bribing them with words/candy/promises etc. Teach your child appropriate responses and actions. Tell them that it is ok to say ‘No’ to an adult and that if anyone tries to grab them then they should make as much noise and do whatever they can to get away as quickly as possible.

Potential abductors usually use opportunity, familiarity or threats in order to take a child. By teaching your child some basic safety tips and by being involved in your child’s life you are doing all you can to help keep them as safe as possible.