St. Charles Borromeo School

Stranger Alert Program

Expert Advice on Keeping Kids Safe

• Never leave children unattended.
• Children should know their full name, address and phone number.
• Do not advertise children's names on articles of clothing or other belongings.
• Use a code word for anyone picking up children from school or other location and change after each use.
• Interview potential babysitters thoroughly.
• Use caution when traveling with children in public places such as shopping malls and parking lots.
• Become familiar with neighbors, especially the families of your child's playmates.
• Report any suspicious person, vehicle or activity immediately to the local police.
• Get to know everyone who will have a supervisory capacity over your children, including teachers, coaches and other youth group leaders.
• Periodically make “surprise” visits to your children's after-school activities, sports practices or other get-togethers.
• Spend some time each day listening to your children speak about the activities of their day, including what they did in school and after, who they saw, where they went; ask if they met anyone or did anything new.
• Be alert for unexplained changes in behavior and investigate.
• Instruct students never to keep secrets from their parents.
• Explain that is perfectly acceptable for a child to say no to an adult who is asking the child to do something the child feels is wrong or that makes the child feel “funny” or “strange. Children must also report to parents any time they tell an adult “no.”
• Have children utilize the buddy system.
• Should children become lost or separated from their parents, they should immediately go to a police officer, store clerk or other authority figure for help.
• Instruct children never to enter any home or accept a ride from anyone without parental permission, and they must not enter a house or approach a car in order to use a telephone to obtain permission.
• Instruct children to beware of strangers who know their name or adults who ask for assistance. Adults should ask other adults for assistance; children should ask children.
• If approached by a stranger, whether on foot or in a car, children should be instructed to run away and shout: “This is not my mother/father.”
• Children should tell parents any time they are approached by an adult.
• When answering the door or telephone and a parent is not available, teach children to use the phrase: “My mom/dad can't come to the door/phone right now.”
• Instruct children not to give out personal information over the phone or computer.
• Instruct children to never permit anyone to touch their bodies in places covered by a bathing suit or photograph them without parental permission. They should report any such attempts.

Remember that it is probably best to approach the topic of personal safety with your children as you would road safety-in matter of fact, straight–forward manner. Explain to children the rules concerning personal safety and that these rules are for the benefit of all. As the children mature, the techniques for personal safety should be transferred gradually from parent tot child, giving children only as much responsibility as they are capable of handling based upon their age. In this way, both parent and child will have a better understanding of personal and of personal safety and of their respective roles, and with the end result being a safer environment for all.

Source: Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation, Inc.

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