Agnieszka Gryn, General Manager at Fidelity ADT’s Inland region, says as parents it is our responsibility to not only educate our children about safety, but to also give them the necessary tools to deal with a crisis. “The reality is that our children may witness a crime despite our best efforts to keep them protected,” Gryn says. “While we don’t want our children to live in fear, we do need to have frank conversations about what to do in a crises situation.”
Quite simply, the same rules that apply to adults need to be instilled in children.
The first and golden rule is to not antagonise the criminal who is probably more scared than you are. You need to show them you are not a threat. Unless your child feels they are facing an imminent life-and-death situation, they should not fight back and readily give over any material possessions.
They should never try and engage in conversation. They should speak only if spoken to and then try to keep their answers short and to the point.
Encourage your children to try and get a good look at the criminal and memorise their physical details and clothing, as well as the vehicle they’re in. Listen for any names or other details that might help identify them later.
Remind your children to try and remain calm and quiet if not threatened so the criminal can get what he or she wants and move off.
Gryn says these simple actions can often keep a child safe. He also reminds parents to constantly reinforce general safety tips for children.