How to prevent tragedies before they happen--PLEASE READ

With the tragic death of a young boy in Brooklyn yesterday and another child missing in the Catskills as of this morning, many of us are probably concerned about the safety of our children.

HaModia recently had an article about how to prevent our children from being the victims of kidnappings and other crimes, rachmana litzlan, lo aleinu. I want to share some of the tips below for you to teach your children.

1) When approached by an adult or teen, it does not matter whether you know them or not, or whether they look Jewish or not. Particularly if they have no small child with them, an adult or teen should be viewed with suspicion when encountered by a child away from his or her parent.

2) If a child is approached by an adult or teen, and the adult or teen says, "I have a problem," "I need directions," "I need help," "Can you help me?" or any other similar statement, the child should say, loudly, "I AM A CHILD! LET'S FIND MY MOMMY/DADDY/BABYSITTER SO THEY CAN HELP YOU." Then, they can immediately start calling out, "Moooommy! Daaaddy!" as they get the parent.

3) The child should be told that if someone says, "Your mother is hurt! Please come with me," or "Your father is running late! Please come with me," they should realize that this is probably NOT true. They should say, again LOUDLY, "If that's true, bring a police officer with a badge to prove it to me."

4) If someone offers you a treat or toy (when your parents are not around), particularly if you have to go someplace to get the treat, ALWAYS say, "NO, THANK YOU." It doesn't matter if the treat is kosher.

5) I child should be told to NEVER follow an adult or teen into a car, building, or even an outdoor location away from other people.

6) If an adult or teen insists that a child follow, or your child sees a friend follow them, start to scream and yell. Whistle. Cry. Kick and pinch. Make a BIG, NOISY fuss, and other people will come running to help the child. It is likely the "bad guy" will go away without anyone being hurt just to avoid being arrested. If that doesn't work: Pee on them! Throw up if you want! Be as nasty as possible, and it is likely the bad guy will go away.

Here's a video by a frum organization on this topic. It's just over a half hour long. I plan to watch it tonight. http://savvima.com/2011/07/13/speaking-to-your-kids-about-personal-safety/

I'm hoping that these tips help all of us, with siyyata d'shmaya, to protect our children from harm.