Human trafficking generates an estimated $32 billion per year in revenue. And many of the victims are children.
Learning about keeping kids safe from abduction is important because every child is at risk. Here’s what you need to know.
- The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.
- More than 80 percent of the 600-800K people trafficked across international borders are female and half are children.
- As of 2012, over 100,000 U.S. children are forced to engage in prostitution or pornography annually. That number is sure to have grown in the past eight years.
Men, if you’ve engaged in or used any form of adult entertainment, please consider that you may have supported human trafficking and that you’re exploiting a person when you choose to partake in adult entertainment. Major events and tourist attractions have become targets to find victims for human trafficking. We encourage you to do everything you can to ensure the safety of your kids. Here are 26 tips for keeping kids safe from child abduction.
Safety Tips for Children:
1. Know your name, address, and phone number(s).
2. Learn how and when to call 911.
3. If you are scared of someone, RUN to safety.
4. It’s okay to be RUDE to a grownup if you feel you are unsafe.
5. Learn the difference between an “OK” secret and a “NOT OK” secret and beware of an adult who asks you to keep a secret from your parents.
6. Don’t let anyone on the phone or at the door know that you are home alone.
7. If you ever get lost in a mall, ask the closest store clerk for help and then stay where you are until you are found.
8. Avoid shortcuts when you are walking from one place to another.
9. If you are ever “scooped,” scream, kick, bite and FIGHT as hard as you can to get away! NEVER trust what the “scooper” tells you.
10. Tell your parents or a trusted adult if someone is asking you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Listen to your “uh oh” voice.
11. Always ask your parents for permission before getting on the internet.
12. Never talk to people online without your parents’ permission.
13. Never fear someone else threatening you to keep a secret and not tell your parents.
Safety Tips for Parents:
Work hard to establish trust and communication with your children from day one.1. Work hard to establish trust and communication with your children from day one.
2. Don’t ever leave children unattended in a vehicle, whether it is running or not.
3. Make sure you know how to find or contact your children at all times.
4. Have a “Call List” of emergency contacts and make sure your child knows the numbers for who to call if they can’t reach you.
5. Take an active role in your children’s activities.
6. As tired as you may be, take the time to listen intently to your children when they tell you they had a bad dream. There could be a reason. Trust your instincts.
7. Talk to your children about inappropriate incidences you hear on the news and get their perspectives.
8. Question and monitor anyone who takes an unusual interest in your children.
9. Teach your children that they can be rude to an adult if they feel threatened in any way. They need to hear it from you directly because this message often contradicts everything they have heard before.
10. Teach children the difference between an “OK” secret and a “NOT OK” secret. Assure your children that you would never want them to feel like they should keep a “NOT OK” secret from you.
11. Have your children practice their most annoying scream. They may need to use it someday.
12. Check websites for registered offenders in your neighborhood. Talk to your children about why these people should be avoided.
13. Keep your family computer in a central location that is easily monitored and avoid letting your children have internet access in unsupervised areas (such as computers in their bedrooms).
These tips are from Child Watch shared via the Huffington Post.
Sound off: What are some other possible safety tips we can share with our kids?
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Huddle up with your kids and share these tips.