Stranger Safety: Move away, stay out of reach, get to a grown-up

Wake Forest parents are understandably concerned after multiple instances of strangers approaching children and trying to lure them on false pretenses. Fortunately, no children have been hurt in these cases, but it is a potentially dangerous situation. We all want our children to be safe, but not unduly scared or worried. Now is a great time to practice some simple stranger safety rules with the children in your life.

Kidpower North Carolina teaches the following "stranger safety" rules:

If a stranger approaches you, stay out of reach. Run away if necessary, and get help by telling an adult in charge what has happened. Wake Forest police have asked people to report all suspicious incidents to them so that they can follow all leads.

Check first before changing the plan about where you are, who you are with, or who will pick you up from an activity.

Kids learn best when they actually practice these rules rather than just being told about them. Parents and teachers can set up role plays in a way that is informative, but not scary. "Let's pretend you are playing in your front yard and a stranger comes up with your soccer ball and says, 'is this your ball?'"

Act it out and coach kids to move away, stay out of reach, and check first with their grown-up. The grown-up in the role play can safely approach the stranger to check out the situation and make sure it is safe to retrieve a lost item. Practice in a way that is calm and matter-of-fact, not too scary. Make sure that kids have a chance to practice being successful in doing things safely.

One of the lures reportedly used in Wake Forest was a man asking for help to find a lost kitten. Parents can tell their children that adults should be asking other adults for help, not asking kids to help them. The safest choice is to not engage at all with a stranger who is asking for help, offering a ride, or even just trying to draw a child into a conversation.

The core message remains: Move away, stay out of reach, and get help from your grownups.