Safety Tips for Children:
* I will trust my gut instincts - I know it is a natural warning alarm.
* I will listen and quickly leave the situation if the alarm goes off.
* I will tell my parents where I am going and when IĖll be home.
* I will let my parents be the persons to open the front door.
* I will play or go places with at least one other person.
* I know how to use a pay phone without money.
* I know a private for-family-only code word.
* I will not talk to strangers when alone.
* I will lock my home and car doors.
* I will not use shortcuts or alleys.
* I will return home before dark.
* I know my parents want me to use these safety rules because they love me.
Safety Tips for Parents:
* The best way to prevent your child from becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime is to convey a consistent message of love over a long period of time. Feelings of love, affection and acceptance build self-esteem in your child.
* Give your child the courage to trust their gut instincts which are natural body alarms.
* Teach your child to yell NO and to run away from a situation that could harm them.
* Demonstrate to your child that itĖs productive to settle arguments with words and not violence.
* Establish and practise a plan with your child for handling separations in a crowd or in a store.
* Be the kind of person your child will want to come and talk with, and then listen to what is said.
* Provide supervised care when you are unable to be with your child at home, in the car or on the street.
* When you are at home or in the car always lock the doors.
* Maintain a current list of your childĖs friends phone numbers and addresses.
* Establish a private family code word for emergencies.
* Maintain current ID, including photograph, video and fingerprints.
In the United States:
* Over 1,000,000 children are victims of abduction every year.
* Every 2 hours a child in the United States is killed with a registered hand gun.
* Every 4 hours a child in the United States is murdered.
* Thousands of children are diagnosed by probation officers, teachers and psychologists to have a predisposition to outbursts of violence. There is scarce funding to provide prevention or follow-up, so they slip through the cracks.
* 3 million cases of child abuse are reported every year.
* There are 12 attempted stranger abductions of a child every day. At least one of these children will never be heard from again.
* In a study of 571 pedophiles, the Washington Post revealed that each had molested an average of 300 victims each.
* There are 3,000,000 known sex offenders residing in the United States.
* The average convicted child molester spends only 2.2 years in prison.
* The average convicted rapist spends only 3 years in prison.
* The average convicted murderer spends only 5.5 years in prison.
* The national average for time served in prison is only 37% of the sentence.
* 1 out of 8 violent offenders in state prisons is serving time for victimizing a child. This totals 40,000 young victims.
* 25% of our children live below the poverty line. Children equal 1/3 of the population and 20% are medically uninsured and 30% suffer from poor nutrition.
* In 1992, there were 6,600,000 violent victimizationĖs: 141,000 rapes; 1,200,000 robberies; and 5,300,000 assaults. 5% of all households had a family member victimized by violence in 1992. There is a greater chance of being a violent crime victim than of being injured in a motor vehicle accident.
* 33% of violent offenders are under 21 years old. 54% of violent crimes are perpetrated by strangers, and 20% were well known to the victims.
What You Can Do To Help:
Working together we can create a safe and crime free environment for our children, and insure that the world that our children inherit from us is safer and more secure than the one we inherited from our parents.. Our goal is not to protect childrenĖs rights, it is to establish childrenĖs rights. Through affecting legislation that will protect children; providing communities with pro-active steps for creating safer neighborhoods; promoting parental awareness and child safety tips.
Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of our children. Education and prevention can be the key to giving children the tools necessary to protect their own safety. Teach your child the buddy system. Typically, the child that is alone is the child that is vulnerable. Show your child the safest places to play, and areas to avoid, like dark alleys or adults without kids who are hanging around the playground or school. Keep a current photo and finger prints. in a safe place. When you are shopping, keep one hand free of packages so you can hold your child's hand.
Although most parents are very busy people and often pulled in many directions building your childĖs self-esteem and sense of preservation is one of the best gifts you can give. ItĖs important for children to realize they can listen to their feelings, and talk to trusted grown-ups about their problems and concerns.
Know your neighborhood. ItĖs one of the most important things you can do to guarantee the safety of your children. . Most importantly, know your neighbors. The more you know about your neighborhood, the safer your family will be. That means when you see something suspicious, report it. Work with your local law enforcement to organize a neighborhood watch program. Remember, it takes the village to raise the child.
Volunteer at your children's school, or in an after school program. When Polly was kidnapped, the entire community of Petaluma volunteered to find her. People from all walks of life proved to the world that you donĖt have to be rich and famous to make a difference. You can be a role model to your family and community by simply volunteering for a cause that is meaningful.
Telephone or write to your legislators at all levels and demand that they support laws that are protective of and designed to benefit children. Support Truth in Sentencing, sex offender registration laws that offer community notification, and database tracking systems. If we can secure a safe future for our children then we will create a safe nation for all innocent citizens.
If you truly don't have the time to get involved, please support those that do. Their efforts trickle down and help you, too. Make a contribution to the cause of your choice realizing that may be the best way for you to participate.
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