From a very young age parents repeat the words “don’t talk to strangers” to their children over and over again. Conversations may end with parents listing the people in the child’s life with whom they are allowed to talk and give information to. But does your child really understand the meaning behind those words? Do they know this doesn’t mean the gentleman down the street who dresses “strange”?

You want to be sure your child or children understand who a stranger is. You also want to pass along instructions on how they are supposed to react to any situation involving a stranger approaching them. Here are some tips to help teach your child about stranger danger.

Start by reviewing the aspects your child already knows about. Discuss the topic of predators and methods they use to try and gain the trust of children. Remind your children:

• Never take candy from strangers.
• Never accept toys from strangers.
• Never get into the car of a stranger for any reason.
• Never believe a stranger who says they’ve been sent by a parent to pick them up. Having a family password will enable your child to know for sure.

Encourage your child to use the buddy system when walking to and from school, to the corner store, or to a local park. In fact, using the buddy system where they are not accompanied by an adult is the best idea.

Be sure your child knows what to do in case of any trouble or fearful situation. Remind them to yell “NO!” very loudly. Then they should run to a safe place if a stranger comes too close or makes them uncomfortable.

Speaking of safe places, does your child know how to recognize one? Tell your child to be aware of any and all safe places they can go to if they feel uncomfortable. Knowing their full name, address, and phone number is important so they can give it out ONLY when they’ve reached safety.

It’s also important that your children know who safe people are. Help them realize that not all strangers are bad people, but it’s not easy to tell merely by looks. Make sure you explain to them there are some adults they can turn to, such as police or security officers, teachers, clerks at the corner or grocery store, or even employees, nurses and doctors at the neighborhood clinic or hospital – whether they know them personally or not.

After you’ve explained the dangers, help your child feel safer by letting them know there are more good people in this world than there are bad people. You want them to grow up as healthy children but you still need to explain the danger of strangers or what to do if they are approached by someone they don’t know.