For Kids
- Make sure you know all of your personal information. This means your full name (not a nickname or a shorter version of your name), your complete address (including city, state and zip code), your area code and phone number and your birthday (including the year you were born.)
- If you leave the house, let your parents know where you are going and who you will be with. Give your parents the names and phone numbers of your friends and their parents.
- Go places with other kids. It's not a good idea to wander around your neighborhood alone! It can be very dangerous - especially at night. Never accept any sort of gift or ride from strangers or people you don't trust. If you are approached, don't be afraid to run away or make a scene. You should scream loudly, something like, "Leave me alone! I don't know you! Or "You're not my dad, I'm not going with you!"
- If you feel you are in a dangerous situation, run to where there are lots of people. Get to a phone and call 911 from anywhere for free, even from a payphone.
- Keep your house key hidden away. If you wear it on a chain around your neck, people may know that you are going home to an empty house.
- If you are home alone, don't answer the door or the telephone. If you do answer the phone, don't tell the caller you are home alone. Instead, tell the caller something like, "My mom (or dad) can't come to the phone right now. Can she (he) call you back in a little while?"
- If you notice a stranger always hanging around the playground or your school, you should tell your parents or your teacher. Give them as much detail as you can: what the person looks like and a description of the person's car and the license plate number.
- Run to a friend's house or to the nearest store if you think someone is following you on foot or in a car.
- Never trust any adult who says they have a secret for you. If an adult tells you something is a secret forever and tells you not to ever talk about it to anyone, you should tell someone right away. "Forever" secrets are often very harmful to someone. Even if the person threatens to hurt you, your family, or your pets, you should always talk to someone!