Thinking About Predators and Bullies All the Time

The alarm idea is interesting. I need some more time to think about it before I form an opinion, but I want to comment on your mentioning self-defense, because I don't know if you've talked about it before or not, but I feel like it's a good idea that goes unconsidered as a solution for kids.

I was being bullied by a group of girls in elementary school who tried several times to throw me down the stairs, so my dad's friend taught me some kick-boxing moves. I never used them and sadly, never asked my mom to enroll me in a class, but I think it's a good option for parents. It gives kids confidence in themselves, a good workout and the ability to protect and stand up for themselves. Also, most martial arts schools teach self-control and the necessity of never being the attacker.

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Heh. We always try to take a picture of each kid when we go to an amusement park or somewhere else that's packed and has a high possibility of having someone get lost. Every day? Yeah...forget college savings; just start that kid a therapy fund!

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I saw Lenore Skenazy when she was on the Stossel show. There she said that kids can walk to school by themselves and take the subway by themselves. I agree; I think a big city is relatively safe for a kid to be my himself. It's the suburbs which are dangerous. I bet most kids are ubducted on quiet streets. Also, she doesn't have girls. I wonder if she would let her 12 year old girl walk in a suburb by herself.

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Sorry, I'd rather be "over protective" and know my child is safe, than under protective and have my child be one of the ones that goes missing.

Do you think that the number of children that goes missing is low because parents are under protective? Or do you think it's vigilant parents who watch their kids closely, the reason child abductions are low? Personally I believe it's the latter.

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While i agree most helicopter parents take it to an extreme..noting the clothing and hairstyle of your child everyday isnt a bad thing...the picture is a bit much. But most danger is not from strangers and shadows its from relatives, siblings, and parents. That is who you are most likely to be hurt/kidnapped/molested by. So before we go nuts take a minute to educate your child and say this is ok and this is not ok. If someone does someting not ok come tell me and i will help you. Otherwise we prepare them for the boogeyman and let the real offenders in.

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AND WE WONDER WHY THE LITTLE KIDS GROW UP AND GO TO THERAPY, EVERYBODY GETS A TROPHY SO LIL BILLY AND SUE DON'T GET THEIR FEELINGS HURT.

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My ten year old grandson has been in a Tae Kwon Do dojo for six years. He knows what to do if anyone-peer or adult-poses a threat to his safety. He has learned that one should walk away from trouble if possible, but has the capacity to deal with any situation if leaving is not an option.
Many girls attend the dojo, too. I recommend such a program for any child whose parents are concerned for their well-being.

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I don't know if the author has a child/children - I think not.
To compare a car accident to child abduction is like comparing a gecko to an alligator.
Any respnsible, loving,caring parent worries about their child being abducted-if they want to admit it or not.
There are websites like FamilyWatchdog.us, that show you a map with all offenders in the vicinity, and you can look them up and see their address,name , convictions and color photo.
within 1/2 mile I have 33 predators living in the vicinity of my home and his school- some of them can look right into the school grounds and pick their next victim with ease, from a high rise next door. It is not a question "if", but a question of "when". We are being held hostage by predators- watching over our children like Turtle watchers over new hatchlings, not letting them go anywhere unsupervised.Gone the days of carefree roaming, gone the days of eaerly morning adventure and coming home at dusk. If the risk, the alternative, is a possible, horrible, painful, torturous death committed by a pedophile who will discard of my kid somewhere like a piece of trash after "use" - well, then my kid will not roam free but, under my watchful eye every second of the day. That's my job as a parent. To protect my child from harm,no matter what.
Knowing your enemy is half the battle. maybe there ARE "ÖNLY' 115 kids abducted annually. I'll be damned it'll be one of mine.I do whatever I can to protect my child from a predator - go ahead, call me paranoid. Call me what you will . But my child is safe. At home.

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Carrie said "... noting the clothing and hairstyle of your child everyday isnt a bad thing...the picture is a bit much." With seemingly every cellphone having a camera, versus the way memory goes to s___ under stress, a quickie photo seems like an excellent idea. If Something Really Bad happens, you can show the photo directly and instantly to police or anyone else, and not have to rely on your descriptive skills, their visualization skills, or whether you are remembering today's outfit and not yesterday's.

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You've obviously got some bizarre bone to pick with the idea of the horrible things that could happen in this world. YOu have written a slate of articles ridiculing anyone who even discusses abduction or molestation. Constantly pointing out how more kids die in car accidents.

Yeah! We know! That's why we do about 365 more things to avoid accident injury, like buy, install and insert our children in really expensive car seats every time we drive.

So by your rational, the fact that one thing might be more dangerous than another means that no one should acknowledge anything else ever. How silly of them?

God I only hope none of these things ever happen to you or your children. But if it did, maybe you wouldn't be so irritated and apathetic about it even being discussed as you sat each day, suffering over the devastating thought that something could have gone differently. If only, if only. Maybe then you would wish someone would try to warn other people and bring these things into the fore.

And by the way. Do you know what the child molestation odds are? They are much higher than the odds of being in an accident. So maybe you should shut it, and think about other people who have suffered much worse things that you have in their lives, and give them the right to speak out about what they wish you knew, and stop lecturing everyone about how you don't want to hear about it because it's not likely enough.

like I said in another post- by your rational, we shouldn't ever talk about the Holocaust at all, right? Because it only happened once. What are the odds. Let's all talk about tripping over your shoelace instead, because of odds.

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FYI- kids used to walk to school alone, and play alone. they also used to be molested constantly. Once people started to discuss and realize this, that's when things started to change.

You might want to turn back the clock. But you're turning it back to denial. Not safety.

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