A–Z Glossary

Unsafe secret

A secret involving touching, images, meetings, gifts, threats, or rule-breaking that a child should report to a trusted adult.

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Teaching kids about strangers and unsafe situations

Teaching kids about strangers and unsafe situations

Start with safety skills rather than fear Young children often think in concrete terms and may interpret “stranger” as a person who looks unusual or frightening. This can create false reassurance because many people appear friendly, and it can unfairly stigmatize people based on appearance, age, clothing, disability, or occupation. Explain that a stranger is […]

Common stranger safety myths

Common stranger safety myths

Myth 1: The greatest danger is a completely unknown stranger This is the central stranger-safety myth. Public attention often focuses on stereotypical abductions involving a person the child has never seen before, a vehicle, and a sudden disappearance. Such events are serious, but they are uncommon compared with many other forms of child victimization. Research […]