THE SPECIAL CODE:

The SPECIAL CODE is a secret word or phrase that ONLY you and your immediate family knows. If your child is approached by a stranger and is told that you've been in an accident and had asked this individual to come and pick them up, your child should take three large steps away from the individual and ask the person for the SPECIAL CODE.

If the person does not IMMEDIATELY know the correct SPECIAL CODE, your child should QUICKLY run away from this person as fast as they can and seek help from a PERSON IN AUTHORITY. Make sure that your child understands to run away in the opposite direction.

IF YOUR CHILD IS FOLLOWED OR GRABBED:

A child should be taught NOT to speak or engage in any conversation with a person following them. They should run away quickly to a place where people are. They should then attract attention, making a lot of noise, and get a PERSON IN AUTHORITY to assist them. They can shout: "You are not my parent! Stop hurting me!" Or: "Stay away from me." Of course, shouting this at the attacker is ONLY done if the individual confronts them. It should be drilled into a child's mind that certain places are unsafe to hang around, such as construction sites, alleys, parking lots or places out of the main flow of people. They should be told that they are NEVER to accept gifts or rides from strangers. Remember that this is one of the THREE POINTS TO REMEMBER.

CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN TO TRUST THEIR INSTINCTS:

As a parent you learn to trust your instincts. There is no reason why a child can't be taught to trust their instincts at a young age. They should be taught that if something doesn't feel right, to go with those thoughts and avoid the situation. This is especially true in situations where they are made to feel uncomfortable. A child should be taught that it is NOT OK for another person to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, even if it's an adult. It's ok to say "no" in certain circumstances.