Don't Talk to Strangers… A Terrible Message for Our Children!
by Jeff Griesemer, Child Resue Network, Inc.

Unfortunately, for over two decades our children have been hearing the message of “Don’t talk to strangers”. While “Stranger Danger” might have a memorable ring to it, it is one of the worst programs ever developed to help protect our children. The concept of protecting our kids by making them afraid of everyone is a national tragedy and one that Child Rescue Network (CRN) is committed to ending.

The facts are very clear. While predators do indeed target our children, a child is overwhelmingly more likely to be victimized by someone they know. 34% of all rape victims in the US are under 12 years-old! Over 90% of those children are assaulted, not by the proverbial stranger, but by someone the child knows and many times even trusts. Indeed your child may someday need a stranger’s help to save their life. So please, if you’re teaching “Stranger Danger”… STOP!!

Child Rescue Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit missing and victimized children’s organization headquartered in Central Florida. CRN’s mission is to raise awareness of the serious issues facing our children as well as provide parents with information and tools to better protect their kids.

The message we need to be giving our children is that most people are good and would never do anything to hurt a child. However there are some bad people out there and if we teach our kids how to recognize potentially dangerous situations and how to react if necessary we can help them make decisions that could prevent them from being victimized. Children must learn to trust their instincts and if something “feels” wrong, they need to get away from that situation as quickly as possible, and then tell mom or dad. While we want our kids to respect people, we also need to teach our children it is okay to say “NO” to an adult when they feel uncomfortable.

Secrets = Blackmail: Instruct your kids that if someone asks them to keep a secret from mom and dad they should immediately tell as this is a huge warning sign. Many times predators will test a potential victim to see just how far they can go and not get caught. So any secret is potentially dangerous. Explain the difference between a secret and a surprise. A surprise, such as what mom got dad for his birthday, is something that will at some point no longer be secret. The secret to worry about is the one that they are instructed to never tell.

The best way to help prevent your child from being victimized is to make sure the lines of communication are always open. Your child needs to know that you are their biggest advocate and their safety is your number one concern.

Can your child tell you everything they feel or are concerned about without being judged or criticized? If not you, then who are they telling?

Child Rescue Network educates parents on specific methods they can utilize to better protect their children. Churches, PTA, Home Owner’s Associations, and other parent groups can simply contact CRN to schedule a FREE safety seminar. You can reach CRN at 877.209.KIDS and you can also find additional safety information online at www.ChildRescueNetwork.org.

Jeff Griesemer – President / CEO
Child Rescue Network, Inc.
877.209.KIDS (5437) ext. 89
info@ChildRescueNetwork.org

Jeff Griesemer is a Co-Founder and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Child Rescue Network, Inc. Jeff has received training from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the US Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and Fox Valley Technical College regarding missing child case management and safety procedures. Additional training includes Incident Command, Search and Rescue techniques, Missing Child & Disabled Adult Search procedures with the NJ State Police, Internet Crimes training with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and well as Community Emergency Response Training from the city of Orlando. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, Vice-Chair for the Seminole County Child Abuse Prevention Task Force. The Central Florida Boy Scout’s Learning for Life Steering Committee, the Executive Board for Leadership Lift, and the Osceola Child Abuse Prevention Task Force.