Dec 11
20

Child Protection

Most parents we speak with are very passionate about protecting their children from the outside world.  At the same time, it is evident that few of them have been educated regarding effective strategies to do so.

For example: In a recent survey of over 75 sets of parents at the Kids Expo in Phoenix, none knew the best action for a child to take if taken by the arm by a stranger in an attempt to put the child into a vehicle.  NONE!   [Contemporary logic says the child should drop to the ground, becoming dead weight, and yell loudly . . ."You are not my daddy/mommy".]   Predators do not want attention drawn to them, and this message is easily understood by passers-by.  In addition, if the child were to run away, he/she could become lost . . . and vulnerable again.

Members of Law Enforcement have also told us that many parents don’t seem to care about their children.  In fact, in 40% of child abduction cases, the parents cannot even produce a recent photo to aid in locating the missing child.  These parents typically believe it is the responsibility of “teachers” to educate the children, and that the “police” are in charge of their safety and protection.

The reality is that teachers and the police cannot do their jobs unless parents take an active role.  Child Shield, U.S.A. works to assist parents and law enforcement by providing vital information about the threats facing our children.

The bottom line is that parents bear the ultimate responsibility for the development of their children.  They have the obligation of assisting law enforcement whenever their child goes missing.  To this end, Child Shield, U.S.A. is the ideal tool to maximize the chances of locating a missing child.

Statistics help us to understand situations, conditions, and activities.  But, without proper interpretation, statistics can often be misleading.

The following statistics relate to missing children in the United States:

A. Over 2100 children are reported missing to the FBI every day(over 800,000 each year)

B. 450,000 children run away each year

C. 300,000 children are abducted by family members each year

D. 58,000 children are abducted by non-family members each year

E. For each crime a child predator is convicted of, he/she is responsible for an average of 8 others

F.  Over 90% of convicted molesters will re-offend

G. Only 3% of repeat offenders will be caught a second time

H. There are over 700,000 registered child molesters, and over 3,500,000 more are unregistered

These statistics are scary . . . and nearly unbelievable!  The truth is that mere statistics about missing children are disturbing even without considering the huge number of cases that are never reported.

The children in our society have become more vulnerable for the following reasons:

1. Our current body of law is insufficient to place permanent barriers between molesters and our children.

2.  Pedophilia has existed since the dawn of civilization, and medical science has discovered no cause . . . and no cure for it.  Child molesters continue to pursue their urges.

3. Communities, and parents, do not do enough to teach prevention skills to our youngsters, and each other.

4. The Internet  [chat rooms, social media, e-mail, etc.] offers expanded opportunities for predators to obtain access to our children - who often are not aware it is happening!

5.  Child molesters are mainstreamed into our neighborhoods with only a fraction of them being registered with the authorities.

6. The national media constantly covers abduction cases – affecting all classes of families.  But, these are typically the high-profile cases.  Most are never publicized.

Child Shield, U.S.A. monitors statistics relating to missing children.We report what we discover and update the data regularly.  But, we are more concerned about the future safety of your children! We concentrate our efforts on bringing you information you can use to make prudent decisions about your family.

Statistics are revealing, but what happened yesterday is past.In truth, the safety of our children is increasingly threatened in our fast-paced society.  That is why Child Shield, U.S.A. proactively works to achieve PREVENTION!

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Posted in Child exploitation and online protection centre Child protection by David. No Comments

Dec 11
17

Finding Lost Children

A couple of days ago I had to go to a dealership to get my car fixed. I am not implying that I don’t want my car to have children, because who am I to make that choice? More so, I was sent a letter about a recall on one of the parts (the hazards, actually), meaning that the dealership was obligated to fix my car while I watched television and drank free coffee from a vending machine…

“This is quite a deal,” you may be thinking.

And I suppose it is. My philosophy was that for every ten minutes I had to wait, I would drink a different variation of coffee. “That’ll show ‘em to recall my parts,” I thought. It didn’t matter that I was up all night, a fact that may have been due more to the excitement of the day as opposed to the caffeine anyway. But in truth, it’s not this coffee that intrigued me earlier today. It was the three-chambered snack machine next to it that contained M&Ms, nuts and Mike & Ikes. Granted, Mike and Ike are both nuts as actual people. That much has already been documented. However, the truly nutty aspect of this was a typewritten note attached to this machine which read, “Please be honest: this machine helps to find homeless children.” Wow, to think that I thought this only dispensed candy, when it actually has the power to locate lost kids. That’s one powerful machine, even more so than the coffee machine which happened to double as a hot chocolate maker…

I don’t mean to personalize this column to merely address one machine at a random car dealership of which I am not mentioning the name. However, this is an example of what bad wording and grammar can do for a dealership. Once others spot the sentence on the machine, no doubt sobbing mothers will be pleading the machine to find long lost Tommy and Mary, when in reality all the mothers will be offered is a handful of pistachios. Some would argue that this is good enough, but I beg to differ — because that’s the type of person I am…

Or, maybe this isn’t false advertising after all. Maybe this one machine can find children by taking advantage of the fact that kids love M&Ms. This is a fact just as well-known as broccoli being green, or greens sometimes being broccoli. So perhaps the kids will smell the candy from wherever they’re at, and then come running to the dealership, hopefully looking both ways while passing each of the parked cars…

Regardless of the actual power of this machine, I left the dealership with fixed hazards, as well as with the knowledge that there are some lost kids out there — and it’s no wonder, considering that the only way we reach out to them is by placing machines in locations they will never think to enter…

But I digress.

Greg Gagliardi is a teacher and writer. His stream-of-consciousness weekly humor column, “Progressive Revelations,” has been ongoing since 1998. (ProgressiveRevelations.com)

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Posted in Virtual Villagers lost children by David. No Comments

Dec 11
16

Child Protection – 7 Tips For Parents on Protecting Their Children

Children who are most vulnerable to crime should be protected by every means possible. It is therefore imperative to adopt positive measures to ensure their safety and that our children do not become a victim of a terrible crime.

Here are some valuable tips for all of us who are parents or grandparents raising children. Most of these are common sense tips that you may already know. Sometimes though we all need a quick reminder of the simple protection strategies to protect our children. We often have a tendency to become complacent and take our safety for granite. Then we carelessly let our guard down and assume nothing will ever happen to us or a loved one.

So here’s 7 tips for helping ensure your child’s safety.

1. Help children to learn at an early age these vital details about themselves. Their complete name and your name also. Your telephone number, and address. Make sure they understand how to use a phone.

2. Help your kids understand what’s your definition of a stranger. Unfortunately those that we think our children should be able to trust ( e.g. neighbor, mailman, paper delivery boy ) we may have to place in the category of a stranger. You have to really get to know someone before careful trust is established.

3. The “What if…?” game is an excellent tool to teach children about different dangerous situations they might encounter. This game will let you teach them how to handle different dangerous situations that might come their way.

4. Help your child understand their body is private and no one is allowed to touch their body in such a way that would make them feel uncomfortable. If someone touches them inappropriately, they should say sternly, “No don’t touch me, get away from me”. Then you should explain to your child that they should go find someone they know and trust as quickly as possible to let them know what happened.

5. Let’s make sure we spend time with, talk with, and listen to our children so we can be aware of any noticeable change in behavior or attitude toward an adult or a teenager. This could be a sign of someone trying to manipulate, bully them or maybe even a symptom of sexual abuse.

6. Establish strict guidelines for your child’s school or day care center for whom the child is to be released to other than yourself. Also what procedure of notification is to be followed if the child does not arrive within the stated time frame.

7. We should never leave our children home alone, alone in a car, or for that matter anywhere else alone. This tip seems very basic for all of us. But I see this scene far too often of young, small children left alone in a vehicle while the parent goes into a store to shop.

Please don’t procrastinate on teaching your child safety procedures. Begin to apply these tips as soon as possible. Your child’s safety could depend on just one of these simple strategies.

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Posted in Child protection by David. No Comments

Dec 11
15

Back to School Safety Tips For Kids and Grownups!

Get ready — the start of yet another school year is upon us! Perhaps you’re eagerly counting down the days till the kids go back or maybe you’re just a bit anxious as your little ones head off to Kindergarten for the first time. No matter how you feel about the end of summer vacation, it’s definitely time to start gearing up for the start of a new school year and all that it entails. In between stocking up on supplies and shopping for the latest fashions, take a few minutes to review some safety tips as we get ready for the next 10 months of school activities, sports & after-school programs, playdates, and everything else in between.

· Is your child starting a new school or daycare?

· Will they be walking to school or waiting at the bus stop?

· Are they going to spend after-school hours in a program or at a friend’s house?

Here are some helpful tips for both younger children and older kids, as well as some good, timely reminders for parents!

FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN:

1. By Kindergarten, kids should know your cell phone number. You can also put an I.D. card into their backpack with pertinent contact information, and let them know exactly where it is in case they need it.

2. Go over exactly who is allowed to pick them up from school… and keep the list short so it’s not confusing. Review every day as part of your drop-off ritual, especially if there are different people picking up on different days. I.E.“Don’t forget Grandma is picking you up today.”

3. Create an “Ultimate Safe Grownup” list of who else is allowed to them up in an emergency. Limit to 3 safe adults… i.e. grandma, Auntie Sue, one or two of their friend’s MOM’s.

4. Tell your children you would NEVER send someone they don’t know to pick them up. If someone else tries, they should immediately go find a teacher or another mom with kids and ask for help.

5. Do not rely on a family password or codeword until your children are at least 8 or 9 years old. Younger children cannot be relied on to remember the password or to ask for it, if someone else tries to pick them up.

6. Be ON TIME/EARLY at pick-up time. Tell your child exactly WHERE your pick up spot is to avoid them wandering. And remind them to NEVER leave the school grounds to go looking for you.

7. Do not put your child’s name on the outside of their belongings. If you must label, use initials or put their name on the inside of the clothing, jackets, backpack, etc.

8. The “Touching Rule”: Let your child know that they are the BOSS OF THEIR BODY and that their private parts are private! Simply put… “no private parts/touching games with other kids or adults.”

9. Potty Rules: By kindergarten, children should be able to use the bathroom by themselves. If they need help, be specific as to whom they can ask… usually it’s just the teacher or teacher’s assistant. Don’t be surprised, however, if your school has strict rules about teachers not being allowed to help in the bathroom. Many schools are now super-cautious about teachers in bathrooms, changing a child’s clothing, etc. Find out exactly what your school’s policy is.

FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

1. There’s no “right” age for when kids can walk or bike to school on their own. Consider the maturity level of your own child. Can they be trusted to cross streets safely? Would they know what to do if a car pulled over and tried to engage them in conversation? Or if an older child tried to bully them?

2. Kids should USE the buddy system. It’s more fun and a lot safer.

3. If your child walks to school on their own, plan out the route ahead of time and practice it with them a few times first. Always stick to the route. No short cuts.

4. Identify some “safe-stops” along the way. A convenience store, business, or friend’s home along the way where they can run to if they need help.

5. NO distractions. Kids shouldn’t walk to school wearing headphones, playing their DS, etc. Teach them the importance of always being aware of their surroundings.

6. Check your state’s Megan’s Law website to see if there are any registered sex offenders living on your route or in the area.

7. Use your “safe-smarts”: No accepting rides, candy, gifts or other items from people they don’t know – NO MATTER WHAT THAT PERSON TELLS THEM.

8. Safe Grownups Don’t Ask Kids For Help – Kids don’t have to “assist” strangers who need directions, help finding a lost pet, or any other kind of assistance.

9. Check First: Never accept a ride or go somewhere (even with someone they know!), without checking in with you or another safe grownup first.

10. Review personal safety concepts with plain, common sense language – not fear tactics. Kids will “tune us out” when they think we are overprotective or harping on this subject. Let them know that you value their sense of independence and just want to be sure they’re clear on the “do’s & don’t's”.

FOR ALL KIDS:

· Remind your child to trust their instincts: that “uh-oh” feeling. If anyone EVER makes them feel uncomfortable, they need to get away from that person and tell you as soon as possible.

· No secrets from Mom or Dad… especially if it makes you feel “weird” or yucky.

· Kids are allowed to say NO to anyone, even a grownup, a teacher, sports coach, etc. if they’re asked to do something that makes them feel yucky, scared, or uncomfortable. If someone says “Don’t tell…” TELL.

FOR PARENTS:

Remember, the world is still a safe place and most people that our children interact with are not dangerous or waiting to hurt them when we’re not looking. Teach safety skills in an easy-going, non fearful manner – just like you’d teach any other life skills. A little common sense goes a long way.

Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After, Inc., is a certified child predator safety educator. She provides school curriculum and non-fearful safety programs for children and adults across the country. Ms. Fitzgerald is a keynote speaker, published author, and has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN Headline News, and MSNBC, as well as countless national and local news and radio programs. For more information, visit http://www.safelyeverafter.com.

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Posted in Saftey tips for children by David. No Comments