Did you know there are over 2,000 reports of missing and abducted children to the FBI every day? That’s an incredible number, and that’s only the ones that are actually reported. This is part 1 of a 3 part series with some simple child safety steps you can take that will greatly minimize the chances of your child becoming missing or abducted. The experts recommend that you teach your child the following child protection techniques.
- Make sure your child know their personal information. You should always be sure your child knows his/her name, address, including city, state, zip code; phone number, including area code; parents’ names, work addresses(or at least the business names of where they work), and phone numbers.
- Make sure your child can use different types of phones. Your child should feel confident using both push button phones, as well as, the old style rotary-dial telephones.
- Make sure your child knows how to make an emergency call. Always make sure your child knows how to make an emergency call to you or emergency services from a pay phone.
- Make sure your child knows how to make a long distance call. How to make a long distance call (both directly to you using the area code, and by dialing “0” for the operator).
- Make sure your child knows NOT to say when he/she is home alone. Your child should never tell anyone over the phone that she is home alone, and NEVER open the door to strangers when she is home alone.
- Make sure your child knows to never answer the door alone. Never to answer the door when home alone. Remind your child to talk through a door or window to anyone delivering a package, and to tell the person to leave the package at the door. Teach your child how to call your community’s emergency assistance number (often 911). Make sure he knows a neighbor to call if someone tries to get into the house or if there is any kind of emergency.
- Make sure your child knows to get permission before entering someone else’s house. Your children need to be aware that it’s not safe and should never go into anyone’s home without your permission. Children should learn whose homes they are allowed to enter.
These are just a few of the basic child safety lessons you can teach your child to keep them safe and out of harm’s way. iRecord wants to help end all child abuse and that starts with helping parents protect and take care of their children at home.
Keep an eye out for Child Safety and Child Protection: Easy Steps You Can Take – Part 2 of 3. In this section we will discuss some child safety and child protection techniques you can take when you’re in public places, or when he/she might find themselves alone.
To learn more about iRecord and what we are doing to support Child Advocacy Centers across the country, click here.