Any family’s worst nightmare is to have a child go missing. Unfortunately, that is a reality for thousands of Canadians each year. The Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) is there to support these families in their search for their children; we can also offer some helpful tips to prevent this from happening to you in the first place.
Potential abductors often use opportunity, familiarity or threats in order to take a child. They are also now using the Internet. By teaching your child the following basic safety tips and by being involved in their life, you will give them the best protection they can get next to having you right by their side.
Keep up to date with who your child talks to, sees, and where they are going. Make sure that they know that their life is important to you and that you are interested in what they do. According to the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CACRC), only 25 percent of children who encounter a sexual approach or solicitation tell a parent or adult.
Also, if they show a change in attitude or behavior, such as spending an increased amount of time on the computer or placing phone calls to strangers, investigate immediately. Beware of anybody who shows an extraordinary interest in your child.
Can you see the PC? Place your computer in an area of your home where you can easily see it, such as the kitchen or living room. Use filtering or blocking software to ward off inappropriate material and make it as child-friendly as possible. Studies done at the CACRC show that one out of every five teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet say they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the web, and that only one-third of households with Internet access are actively protecting their children from encounters like this with software security.
It is important to sit down with your children and let them know that it is not okay to send out personal information or photos. Tell them to let you know if anybody is pressuring them for information.
Your child needs to know their full name, a phone number to call and your street address (including postal code) off by heart in case of an emergency, but they also need to know who they can and cannot trust with this information. This means explaining to them who is a stranger and who isn’t. For example – grandmas and uncles are not strangers, but the postman or neighbors are, even though you see them every day. If you need to send somebody to pick your child up from school, it is a good idea to have a password that only you, your child, and that trusted adult knows.
Take some time with your child to go through lures that potential abductors might use, such as looking for a lost puppy, bribing them with candy or asking for directions. Teach them the appropriate responses and actions to these requests. Tell them that it’s okay to say, “No” to an adult, and that if anybody tries to grab them they should make as much noise as possible and do whatever they can to get away. If an adult tries to join your child while they are playing with friends in a playground or park, tell them to say, “No” and go tell a teacher or supervisor right away.
There isn’t one perfect way to keep your kids safe, but if you take the time to sit down and educate them about the possible dangers around them, you will be giving your children the tools that they need to protect themselves when you aren’t around.
The Missing Children Society of Canada is a registered charitable organization dedicated to the search for abducted and runaway children. MCSC provides a comprehensive investigative search program called Project: Reunite, free of charge, to assist police and searching parents in the active ongoing search for missing children. For more information visit mcsc.ca or call us toll-free at 1-800-661-6160.
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