Preventing Child Abduction

Child abduction is one of the many concerns parents have in our modern world. It is the deep desire of Grace Martial Arts to train children in how to escape from anyone who would attempt to abduct or harm them.

More than 200,000 children are abducted every year. Many of the abductors were family members trying to deprive the legal caregiver custodial rights. Others were not members of the family but known to the child who took them forcibly for a short time. Only a small minority of abductions involved strangers who hold children for ransom or kill them.

Parents have to be prepared to deal with any of these three types of abductions. Here are things you can do as a parent to prevent child abduction and be prepared in case the worst happens.

What Parents Can Do

Make sure your child knows their full name and home telephone number

Warn your child about common lures adults use to abduct a child (i.e. asking for help to find a lost puppy, offering them candy that's in the abductor's vehicle)

Teach your child about places they should not go: (i.e. public restroom alone, deserted building, public park alone)

Teach your child to stay with groups of children while playing outside (at least one or two other children)

Know where your child is at all times

Teach your child to let you know when their plans change

Make sure your house windows and doors are closed and locked

Do not leave your child alone in a vehicle

Teach your child to go to a police officer, security guard or cashier if they get lost while shopping with you. They should not go to the store parking lot to search for you.

Teach your child to run away from a stranger who approaches them while they are alone outside

Teach your child to run away toward the back of a vehicle if a stranger pulls their car or truck next to your child

Teach your child to scream phrases like "He's kidnapping me!" or "Bad man, bad man, hurting me!" if someone tries to abduct your child

Make sure your child learns basic escape techniques from a variety of grabs and holds and practices them with you regularly to make sure they remember how to do them

Be careful when choosing a babysitter for your child. Get references from friends, family and neighbors. Meet with the babysitter regularly to let them know about any concerns you have. Be sensitive to changes in your child's behavior after being with the babysitter that might signal potential problems.

Take a color photograph of your child at least once a year

Keep a lock of your child's hair for a DNA sample

Keep your child's fingerprints on file

If you would like more information about Grace Martial Arts classes in the Tampa area, contact Mark McGee at mmcgee@gmaf.org.

Teaching Children How To Be Healthy And Safe