** Remember that less than 25% of kids are kidnapped by complete strangers. This means that 75-80% are kidnapped by a family or friend of the family. Still there should be no chances taken.**
A. Children of parents who use drugs, hold parties where drugs and alcohol are consumed are more likely to be kidnapped then children whose parents don't.
B. Kidnapped children are very rarely taken in the presence of their parents or other trusted family members. So watch your children! Young children should never be running around the neighborhood by themselves! If they are walking to a friend's house, walk them. If it's close by, watch them. If going to the bus stop, watch them.
C. A few recently highlighted cases have shown that parental or other family member drug use and drug debt may have been a HUGE factor in children being taken.
1) Kids: Always stay in groups of at least 2 or more people. Kidnappers are less likely to try and abduct you if there are witnesses around.
2) Kids: Always try to change your specific ways that you walk to and from the bus stop or to and from your friends' houses. It is good to have one or more ways to get to where you’re going. Child kidnappers usually will stalk first and wait for a time and location where it's easiest to abduct you If you take the same path, around the same time everyday, then a kidnapper will know exactly where and when to take you. If you think about previous cases where children have been abducted, you will remember that they almost always were by themselves and usually walking to school or to a friend's house by themselves. Avoid walking or biking in dark areas, wooded paths, alleys, and back roads that have hardly any traffic.
3) Kids: Keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles that you see everyday. For example, if you see the same white van everyday or even every other day constantly, this could be someone who is looking for a specific type of child to kidnap. (Think about it how often do you normally notice the same vehicle everyday where you walk or play by yourself?)
4) Kids: Remember these two things: If someone grabs you, make sure you scream and hit their private parts at the same time. A kidnapper only has two arms; he/she can't carry you, cover your mouth and protect his/her private parts all at the same time.
5) Kids: Never for any reason go toward someone’s car, van or truck. A lot of times, a kidnapper will say" I have a cute puppy to see" or "my animal is sick can you help" or I have free candy or something. Never listen to them. If you don't know them, stay away from them. They will be trying to get you near a vehicle so when you scream and kick for the private parts at the same time, they have a better chance of taking you.
6) Parents: VERY IMPORTANT! Know which routes your kids walk or bike to their friend's house or to school. If someone were to take them, you would know what roads they were walking or biking on. This way you can tell the police exactly where to look for witnesses.
7) Parents: Get to know your neighbors! Especially people in your immediate neighborhood or subdivision. This is important for two reasons, 1st. So you can know which people you feel comfortable and deem appropriate for your children to be near. 2nd. You can set up “Safe houses" for your children to run to if an emergency with them or you should take place.
8) Parents: It is a great investment to enroll your child in at least a basic self-defense course. Most courses or Karate schools are pay-as-you-go, so you can quit even after a couple of months. Usually with about fifty dollars your child can learn successful self-defense tactics.
9) Parents: It is a great idea to practice defense tactics with your children. Go over a plan of what your children will do if they are approached or grabbed by someone. Make sure they know what they will do, God forbid they will ever have to use it.
10) Kids: Make sure when you are online or making videos that you are not talking or doing anything sexual. Make sure your real name, phone number, or location is not seen by anyone you and your parents don’t know in real life. Do not talk to strangers online! Be careful of adults posing as kids.
SEXTORTION
Parents and Kids: There is a thing called sextortion. This is when a predator obtains an indecent picture(s) or video(s) of the child. Then threatens to release to the public, to the school and other friend and all over online unless the child does things for them. A Predator will create false profiles as someone the child's age or a bit older or younger complete with pictures and videos taken from somewhere on the internet. Then express a GF or BF interest in the child to become a victim. Once that picture or video is sent, there is no getting a rid of it. Even Snapchat holds 7 years of every snap sent. Also, people use screen record so as soon as they open a snap or picture or video, it is recorded and saved they will then use that against the child. This can very easily lead to a child being kidnapped.
