REEVALUATING TRADITIONAL

SAFETY MYTHS

# 1 SAFETY MYTH:  “Don’t Talk To Strangers” 

Implying that “strangers”=danger and known people=safety, this rule increases the danger our children face at the hands of people they know … when this is the group who actually constitute the majority of perpetrators.   Ninety percent of sexual assaults are perpetrated by assailants the child and parent know.
SUGGESTION:  Teach children to talk to strangers, just not to strange people.  Teaching interpersonal evaluative skills is an ongoing parental job.

#2 SAFETY MYTH:  “Find A Policeman If You Get Lost”

We all know how hard it is to find a policeman when you need one.  Furthermore, studies have found that children are unable to distinguish between policemen and uniformed security guards, many of whom may not be willing or able to help a child.
SUGGESTION:  Tell children to find a woman with a child.  If they don’t see a woman and child, a woman alone is still a safer bet than a man.

#3 SAFETY MYTH:  “Don’t Wander Off”

The reality is that this direction simply doesn’t work often enough to be sufficient.  Both children and adults get distracted at times even when they have the best intentions.  Sometimes, it’s just long enough to become separated.
SUGGESTION:  Plan for unintentional separations.  In addition to knowing how to choose an adult to help them, children might be taught a cell phone number, an address; or even a place to meet should a separation occur.

#4 SAFETY MYTH:  “Fighting Back Will Only Make Things Worse”

True … if the assailant attempts a robbery, especially if there’s a weapon.  False, however, if the assault is sexual in nature and/or if the assailant attempts to isolate the target, that is, remove them from a public place.  Studies have shown that injuries sustained as a result of fending off a perpetrator (not a robber) are far less significant than injuries sustained during a successful sexual assault.

#5 SAFETY MYTH:  “Respect Your Elders”

While children should certainly respect most adults, unfortunately, we cannot teach our children always, unquestioningly, to respect and, by implication, obey their elders.