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3 Smart Safety Moves for Smart Kids - Give your kids the tools they need to stay safe! By Lynda R. Exley
Lynda Exley is calendar editor for Arizona Parenting, a United Parenting Publications.
If your kids are old enough to be on their own, on foot or on a bike, coming and going to school, walking to a friend's house, or maybe browsing in the mall (even though you may be close at hand), you need to teach them these 3 techniques - all developed by experts in the field of child safety.
The Escape School Bicycle Technique, which saved a West Coast girl from certain abduction, is especially helpful in resisting capture. If your child is riding or resting near a bicycle and is approached by a would-be kidnapper, instruct the child to hold on to the bicycle with a death grip, scream as loud as she can, and don’t let go no matter what. It’s highly unlikely that an abductor could drag your child and the bicycle into a vehicle. And in the case of the West Coast girl, the abductor was so frustrated with her not cooperating that he started to yell, “Let go of the bike,” which attracted the attention of a couple who was walking their dog. When he realized what happened, he fled and the girl was saved.
The Velcro® Technique is especially important in today’s society when people don’t want to get involved in other people’s problems. Tell your child if he can’t get anyone’s attention to grab onto a passerby (preferably a mother with kids, someone in uniform or someone with a nametag on) and hang on to that person. The child should continue to say, “I need help,” as loudly as possible until the stranger agrees to help or someone else notices the commotion and comes to his aid.
According to Vickie Owens, a crime prevention specialist for the Gilbert (Arizona) Police Department, Gilbert Kids Zone teaches kids the Dip, Grip and Spin Technique, which throws the abductor completely off guard, giving control back to the victim. With this technique, the victim drops down and wraps her arms (and possibly legs) around the kidnapper’s legs. Then the child screams loud and long. This immobilizes the perpetrator and draws attention to the situation.