My husband, Jeff, and I are the parents of two children, and we are the parents of a
six children. Each of our children is important to us, and we love being together as a family.
Whatever we're doing, our time together is priceless. As parents, we want to keep our
children healthy and safe. Of course, we've heard a lot about child safety, but like most
people, we never really thought anything could happen to our family. Then our ten-year-old
daughter, Casey, led a stranger in her house whom she thought was a police officer. That's
when we decided our family, and maybe others, needed to get street smart. When we created
Capstone Entertainment and the Safe Kids Project, we could only hope that parents would recognize
the importance and the value of the educational tools that Capstone creates. Fortunately,
you have. Our nationally acclaimed video, Get Street Smart, A Kid's Guide to Stranger
Strangers, is the first film in a series of what we call, Edutainment Videos. Edutainment
is our commitment to producing educational videos on issues that are relevant to parents
and entertaining to children. Research shows that video is one of the most effective ways
to teach our children. We've assembled some of the most talented people in film and television
to work with us on this video series, because we realize that safe kids are no accident.
In fact, early child education is a key to stopping problems before it's too late. Today's
family simply cannot wait to educate. Children need to learn about safety and important core
values while they're still young. The family values Jeff is talking about are things we've
heard a lot about recently, but what you need to know is that at Capstone, family entertainment
isn't just a catchy phrase or a trend. We want Capstone Entertainment to be a resource
for you to enrich your children's lives by educating their minds and their hearts about
what it means to be part of the family. I guess it's not so much a matter of teaching
family values as it is recognizing the value of the family. We welcome you as the newest
member of the Capstone Entertainment family. Enjoy the program.
What parent hasn't experienced the sick feeling of misplacing a child or the relief when he
or she is finally found? But what if he isn't found for two hours, two days, never? Kidnap.
The word conjures up a parent's worst nightmare. Hello, I'm Cindy Williams, and as a parent,
there's nothing more terrifying than the thought of my own children missing. That's why I feel
it's so important to continue educating myself as well as my family so that we remain safe,
happy and together. You just watched our friend Corny zap his way out of some very real life
threatening situations, the very situations that thousands of kids every year find themselves
in. The sad truth is that most aren't as lucky as Corny. In fact, they've become a statistic.
The U.S. Department of Justice released a shocking study in 1988 that has remained unchanged
for the past six years. Over 350,000 children a year are abducted by family members, usually
in a strange family or divorce situations. The trauma to children can be enormous. Over
4,600 children are abducted by non-family members. In other words, strangers. 300 plus
of those abductions are children who are gone for long periods of time. Tragically, 50 to
150 of those are murdered each year. To help us further understand this issue, let me introduce
Dr. Laura Schlesinger, noted psychotherapist, host of the nationally syndicated radio talk
show and author of the current bestselling book, 10 stupid things women do to mess up
their lives and a parent herself. Thank you, Cindy. Dr. Schlesinger, what happens to kids
who are kidnapped? Well, sadly, most children are taken by sex offenders. Others are exploited
in child pornography or prostitution rings or especially in the case of infants are sold.
It's important for parents to understand that few kidnappers randomly snatch a child. Rather,
they groom the child sometimes for weeks, even months before they make their move. What
do you mean by groom? They hang out near the schools, churches or other places where children
congregate and watch for opportunities to cultivate certain types of children. And what
types are those? Well, children with poor self-images, those who are easily intimidated
by their peers or who are pleasers, ones who are desperate for love or friendship. What
else? They watch for how friendly a child is. Will they come up to a car? Is she easily
flattered? Do they hang with a group or can they be tempted away alone? They also observe
where the adults are in the child's life. How much protection does the child have? Does
the child walk home alone? Is he or she a latchkey child coming home to an empty house?
Then what happens? Kidnappers begin by making friends with the child, finding moments to
talk to them, flatter them, play with them. They often offer gifts of candy or toys. They
subtly gain a child's trust and get them to confide in them. They ask questions like,
�Where are your parents? Are you happy at home?� One of the most recent and insidious ploys kidnappers
use is the computer. Total strangers engage in conversations with computer savvy kids
on what are called BBSs or Bulletin Board Services. How does that relate to kidnappings?
Adults, often sexual deviants, pose as another child during computer chats. Sometimes without
warning they bring up pornographic material on a screen and once it's in a child's mind
it tends to ricochet around and stay in there. The worst scenario is eventually the adult
arranges to meet the child face to face and the kidnapping or molestation occurs.
To me the scariest part about this is a criminal can get in touch with virtually anyone anywhere
that he or she can access with a computer. Now what do you advise in this case?
Children should first understand how the computer works and what their child does on the computer.
Never, never use the computer as a babysitter. Advise the children not ever to give out personal
information over computer networks. If a child wants to meet someone they have contact with
certainly parents should accompany them. Well this is very disturbing stuff. The bad
news is most child offenders are clever and devious and in most cases children innocently
go along with them of their own free will. The kidnapper breaks down the defenses and
then moves in. First the grooming then the assault. The good news is over 100,000 attempted
kidnappings a year are thwarted by street smart, confident, informed kids who get away
safe. What's the best way for a parent to teach their children?
Parents can set up scenarios of safety. For example, honey you're in front of the house
and somebody drives by and says I'm lost could you get in the car and show me where to go?
You explain to your child to say no. At the corner there's a police station you don't
get close to the car and you come home and tell mommy. And I think when children have
concrete ideas of what to do they are safe. Ask children if there is an adult at school
or church or anywhere who makes them feel very uncomfortable, uneasy, scared. Trust
your child's intuition and never make them feel that they will be reprimanded for what
they say or feel about another adult, even a family member. Know where your children
are at all times and very small children should never be left alone in public, ever. Expect
older children to let you know where they are at all times, make them accountable.
And parents do your children know where you are right now? Leave your phone number and
whereabouts with your children at all times. Investigate child care providers thoroughly.
Check their references, even police records. If you don't trust the person, don't trust
them with your child. I just can't be with my child every minute of the day or night.
You can find another responsible adult as well as empower your children to protect themselves.
Kids need information, even if it's a little bit scary. It would be more scary to be kidnapped.
Parents don't want to discuss kidnapping with their children because they think they're
too young. Does your child know what a stranger is? A person they have never seen before and
whom they should treat with extreme caution. An acquaintance, someone they've seen before
but should never mistake for a friend. And a friend, someone who would never do anything
to make them feel uncomfortable or frightened. Teach children whom they can trust. Help your
child become a confident and streetwise kid who can trust his or her gut feelings about
things. Parents trust your own intuition about your child's safety. If you don't feel your
child should leave, say no. Do children have to become suspicious and reclusive, afraid
of all adults? Allowing children from a very early age the right to say no firmly but respectfully
to adults gives them a sense of personal security. Don't insist, for example, that your child
kiss or hug anyone against her will or you'll teach her it's okay for people to force affection.
Even as young as two or three, children can memorize vital information. I call for help
911. My name is Suzy Rocket. My parents' name is Roger Sarah Rocket. My street number
is 222 Main Street. My phone number is 213-4555-1111. Choose a family code word to give to anyone
else who must pick up or attend to your child. Make the word memorable. Instruct your children
never to tell anyone, even a best friend, what the secret word is. Newspaper and television
news and films present perfect opportunities for family discussions about difficult issues.
I don't want to alarm my children unnecessarily. Just because it happened on television doesn't
mean it'll happen here. When the smoke alarm goes off, you want your children to get out
of the house. If she reaches for a boiling pot of water on the stove, you do warn her
away. If a dog growls, you want your child to back off, then surely you want to warn
your children about possible stranger dangers. Assemble a current identification package
for every member of your family, including yourself. Adults can be kidnapped, too. It
should include the height, weight, and hair and eye color of the person, dental records,
and a recent photograph, preferably color. Replace the photos of older children and adults
once a year and four times a year for preschoolers because their features change so rapidly.
Also include professional fingerprints and hand and palm prints. Your local law enforcement
agency or the Identic Kid Services of America will be glad to assist you. Another good idea
is to make a mental note of what your children are wearing each day. Good communication between
parent and child can save that child. Recently, a young girl escaped from a kidnapper by pretending
to hyperventilate when a guy held a gun to her side and told her to walk to his car when
she collapsed. Pretending, gasping for air, the man ran away. Why was she able to think
so intelligently in a crisis? She said, I listened to my mom. Now, what about safety
strategies for children who are home alone? Instruct children not to answer the door or
the phone at all, except maybe with a prearranged signal from you, such as the phone ringing
twice, then pausing, then ringing twice again. It's smart to arrange a special door signal,
too. If they must answer, they should never reveal that they're alone. Tell them to say
something like, my mom is in the shower. Can I take a message? Or, my dad is mowing the
lawn. Please call a little bit later. Also, keep a list close to the phone of emergency
phone numbers and numbers of trusted adults. Also, keep a running phone list of all of
your children's friends and their favorite hangouts. What if the worst happens and a
child is missing? What should parents do? Act immediately. Ask anyone nearby if they
saw your child or any suspicious people. Call the authorities immediately. If you're at
home and your child has not returned, first check the house, the automobiles, and the
yard thoroughly, top to bottom, every possible hiding place. Second, contact all the child's
friends and search all of his or her favorite places. Then have someone else check them
again. Third, call the police within 30 minutes. Thanks to recent legislation in most states,
it is a myth that police have to wait 24 hours before acting in a juvenile missing persons
case. Fourth, call 1-800-THE-LOST. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
spearheads national efforts to recover missing children. In the last nine years, they have
helped to recover over 22,000 missing children by handling nearly a million phone calls and
circulating millions of photographs of missing children to law enforcement agencies in North
America. The most important thing you can do is to circulate photographs of your child
to as many people as possible in your community. And keep someone by the phone day and night.
So is it a jungle out there? I mean, is someone dangerous lurking around every corner? Not
really. For the most part, the world is a safe and beautiful place. But there are predators
out there who have no boundaries. So a child's best defense is their own defense? Absolutely.
Knowledge is power. A police detective once said, show me a kid who isn't wary of strangers
and I'll show you the next victim. It's our job as parents to make our children aware.
Well, thank you, Dr. Schlesinger. And thank you for watching this very important video
with us. Share it with your children. Tell other concerned parents and adults about it.
My child is missing. Probably the four most frightening words ever spoken by a parent.
How do I know this? Because it happened to us. My name is Melinda Jones and this is my
husband Wayne. We are the founders of the International Association for Missing and
Abducted Children. Two and a half years ago, our son was abducted. The trauma that we experience
will never be forgotten. Our son was recovered. Some children never are. Since then, I am
at the International Association for Missing and Abducted Children has created a three-fold
program, prevention, education, and recovery. While working closely with all law enforcement
agencies and through prevention stranger awareness programs, I am at can help eliminate the number
of missing and abducted children. I am at video registration program is a five-minute
video registration of your child. That records your child's voice, movements, and any other
identifying characteristics that could be vital in the search for missing child. Our
mission is to prepare you to fight against stranger abduction. We can be reached at 1-800-RESCUE-KIDS.
That is 1-800-737-2835.
Great news! Capricorn, America's favorite alien exchange student, is starring in some
other new fun educational films. Capstone Entertainment and Safe Kids have created a
whole series of Capricorn's adventures. In future movies, Corny will learn from earth
friends like you about all kinds of great things like honesty and self-esteem. Don't
miss Corny's future movies, and remember, Safe Kids are no accident.