How to Talk to Young Children About Safety When Outside

Your child will desire to be more autonomous as they get older. Allowing children to accomplish things independently will boost their self-esteem and is crucial to growing up. Teaching children about safety and equipping them with the knowledge to make sound judgments can help them be safe when they venture out without you.

There is no defined legal age when you may begin letting your child go out on their own. As a parent, you must assess your child’s maturity level and what you believe they can handle. This will depend on your child’s age and personality. Preparing children for independence can begin when they are very young, long before they can travel anywhere without you.

Stranger danger

It is critical that your child knows that not everyone they encounter can be trusted. However, instructing your child not to speak to strangers is overly simple. Sometimes your child needs assistance from a stranger because they have been lost or wounded while out without you. 

When they first venture out on their own, children must be self-assured enough to seek assistance if necessary. This is why teaching your children the concept of “Safe Strangers” is critical.

We don’t know these folks, but we can notice signals that they’d be a good person to ask for aid. A ‘safe stranger’ is someone who is dressed in a costume that indicates he or she is there to aid others.

Teaching Children to Be Safe Without Making Them Scared

Even in loving homes, schools, and communities, young people are vulnerable to assault, abduction, and abuse. The essentials to keeping children safe are knowledge and skills. The good news is that there are easy and efficient methods for teaching children to protect themselves.

Parents and other caregivers should know that their children are more likely to be hurt by a stranger than by someone they know. Children must have clear safety guidelines in place when they are out on their own, both for strangers and for setting limits with those they know.

A child molester might be a neighbor, a relative, a family friend, a youth group leader, a teacher, or even another child. Knowing what is going on with your children is the greatest method to protect their safety. Make time to ask them often if there is something they’ve been wondering or worrying about that they haven’t told you, and listen to their responses with compassion and respect.

Children must learn that there are specific safety standards when they are not under the supervision of an adult and when they are alone. Children who are even a small distance away from an adult in charge are on their own for a few minutes. They don’t have to be concerned. All they need to know is what to do.

Simply lecturing children about safety or showing them what to do is insufficient. When discussing risk with children, their increased awareness might actually increase their degree of worry. 

Young individuals learn best when they are actively involved. Practicing personal safety practices with children boosts their confidence and competence. It is critical to executing this in a way that is not frightening but enjoyable. 

Even when you are with them, small children might be vulnerable. Make sure to teach them basic rules such as staying with permission, holding your hand, and asking someone for help if they get lost.

Depending on your child’s age, you should talk to them more about the dangers they might face. For example, a teenager might have greater chances of being approached by drug dealers, sex traffickers, or pimps.

Brandon went missing from his residence in Pleasant Hill, California, sometime between 10 p.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2022, and 9 a.m. on Monday, January 17, 2022. He has not been seen or heard from since his disappearance. 
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Brandon Abbett is asked to call the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office at (415) 553-7400 or the Pleasant Hill Police Department at (925) 288-4600. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.

Race: White

or Consulate.