Prevention – Beyond
Stranger Danger?
Geoff Newiss
Parents and Abducted
Children Together (PACT)
Recommendation:
“Examine the effectiveness of
existing materials and
programmes for schools and
parents to keep children safe
from abduction”
Police recorded child abduction 2011/12
Known, not related
Parental
Stranger
Other family member
Relationship not known
0
50
100
150
200
Number of confirmed completed abductions
Number of attempted abductions
Number of victims where not known if attempt or not
Source: Newiss and Traynor (2013)
250
300
Beyond stranger danger: research
Aims
1. To establish if parents, teachers, police and other
agencies are providing information and advice to
children on stranger child abduction
2. To explore what information and advice, if any, is
provided to children
3. To identify themes or issues in the content or
delivery of information and advice
1973 ‘Strangers’ - part of the ‘Charley
says’ series
1981 ‘Say no to strangers’
What is stranger danger?
• Strangers/non-strangers
• Don’t go
• Don’t talk to
• Don’t take things from…
Limitations:
•
•
•
•
Poor differentiation
Lack of consistency in practice (‘little old lady’)
Can limit readiness to find help when children need it
Can distract from the greater risk posed by people known to
children.
• Can interfere with higher priority safety task of recognising
dangerous situations and overcoming socialisation pressures.
Lures:
• Simple lures (“would you like to go for a
walk?”)
• Authority lures (“your mother told me
to come get you”)
• Incentive lures (“I have some toys in my
car…”)
• Assistance lures (“can you help me
carry these things to my car?”)
• Conversation lures (“what is your name,
how old are you?...”).
Three critical response behaviours:
• Verbal (YELL)
• Motor (RUN)
• Reporting (TELL)
Behavioural skills training “involving some combination of
instructions, modelling, rehearsal, praise and corrective
feedback” is generally effective in helping children to acquire
abduction avoidance behaviour (Miltenberger and Olsen, 1996)
Self-esteem and confidence
Parents (n=12 + 6 on social network site)
“statistically it is family members that post more of a risk to kids than
strangers.”
“I know the schools teach children not to talk to strangers but I don’t
agree with that, I think that makes for a very unfriendly world.”
“I believe it is important for them to be confident to talk to strangers.”
“I told my daughter…most grown-ups are really nice, but there are a
few people who aren’t. She asked if I meant kidnappers and I think I
responded ‘yes, kind of’. She didn’t seem overly bothered by what I
said, but I feel I could have perhaps explained it better!”
Schools (10 responses)
Mixed provision: proactive, reactive, none at all.
Internet safety priority
Lack of resources: “We have recently had good reason to speak to all
of the children about stranger danger but struggled to find helpful
support materials which balanced getting the message across without
scaring them all”.
Police and PCSOs (3 force areas)
Mainly PCSO provision on ad hoc basis – relationship with schools
important
Lack of training and resources: “There is no package on abduction
safety or ‘stranger danger’ – you just sort of make it up as you go
along. I suppose it’s common sense.”
Voluntary sector and online
Staying safe from strangers integrated with other subjects
Generic strategies: confidence, assertiveness
Local/regional delivery, school programmes, information resources
KEY ISSUES
•
•
•
•
•
Too often reactive ‘stranger danger’
New Beyond ‘stranger danger’ theme needed e.g. Safe, not scared
Lack of teaching materials
Resourcing ‘gold standard’ prevention – Behavioural Skills Training
Integration with other safety subjects and generic approaches to
child safety
• Evidence and effectiveness
• Broader prevention strategies