No parent wants their child to be abducted, in fact, most parents would rank that as one of their top fears. Knowing how to prevent your child from being abducted can help you make sure that they have a healthy, happy childhood. There are many, many tips to prevent such an occurrence from becoming a reality available from all sorts of places, both on the internet and off. While there is no sure-fire, entirely guaranteed way to keep your children safe, there are steps you can take to keep your child as safe as possible and greatly cut down on the chances of your child being abducted.
The Most Common Type of Child Abductor
It may be a little hard to believe, but your child isn’t the most likely to be abducted by a stranger, but by a relative. The vast majority of kidnappings are performed by someone the child is related to. This can take many forms, for instance, if you and your co-parent are divorced or separated and have a custody arrangement but one of you doesn’t want to give the child back to the other parent so they flee.
This is especially common in homes with estranged parents, divorced parents, or low-income households. Fortunately, in a lot of these cases, your child will be safe as the person taking them is related. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to prevent this type of abduction because it’s being done by someone the child trusts that may have some degree of authority over the child. That being said, this is still overwhelmingly the most common type of abduction to take place and it is far less likely that a stranger will take your child.
How to Protect Your Child from Abduction
Even though it is far more common for children to be abducted by a relative, that doesn’t mean that abductions from strangers are unheard of. There are some ways to help your child stay safe in this world, and it will involve some effort from you, your child, and your co-parent if they’re still in the picture. Make sure that your child doesn’t talk to strangers, and knows not to trust strangers especially when you aren’t around. Teach them to never get into a car with a stranger, nor accept any gifts from strangers.
Keep an eye on your children in stores or other public places. Of course, kids like to run around and sometimes escape your field of vision. This isn’t always the end of the world, but it’s always safer to keep them within your sight when out in public. Some parents even teach their children to scream things like “you’re not my parent” if a stranger tries grabbing them so they can make a scene and get the attention of people around them.
As they get to the age of being on the internet, monitoring their internet and phone access is a good way to ensure that your child is safe. Many predators will use the internet as a window to get close to and earn the trust of children before they strike, so monitoring their internet for anyone suspicious is a great way to ensure that your child isn’t being manipulated by a predator.
Stop Kidnappings Before They Even Begin.
It’s disheartening to know that there are people in this world that specifically wish to do children harm, but there are steps that you can take to ensure your child’s safety as much as you can. There are tools online, like the National Sex Offender Registry, and services that Registered Offenders List can connect you with that can provide you with information on offenders in your area, as well as give you more helpful tips to keeping your children safe.