A parent's worst nighmare is for a child to be hurt or abducted by someone. Here are simple tips for childrens health and safety for children of all ages.
A parent's worst nightmare has to be their child being hurt or abducted by a stranger. When dealing with a small child, there is little they can do to get away from an adult who has decided upon a hurtful course of action. There are precautions that can be taught to children that will improve their safety and chances of getting away.
We are all taught from birth not to bite. This has been a die-hard rule in most households from the beginning of time. For their own safety, children need to learn WHEN and how to bite. During an attack, teeth can make a formidable weapon. Teach your children to use this to their advantage. Biting doesn't have to be limited to the attacker's hands. Have your children know it is OK to bite arms, legs, stomachs, ears and necks. When they do bite, have them geared to draw blood and take a piece of the attacker with them.
Head butts can be extremely effective as well. For your child to do one properly have him practice it on you. One word of caution, make sure you keep your face averted from your child's head. When an attacker grabs a child, they often do so in a bear hug manner. This means they wrap their arms around the child's body while making the arms impossible to move. In this situation, the child can drop their head forward onto their chest, and then slam it back into the attacker's face with as much force as they possibly can. Have them practice yelling at the same instant to focus their strength. A good solid hit by what all parents know to be a hard head, can cause a broken nose and spilt lip. Both of these conditions are painful and cause tears and swelling around the face.
Another thing the child can do if they are lifted off the ground is to combine the above technique is to start running in air. When the child is running, have them try to kick themselves in the buttocks. If they are lucky during an actual attack, they will hit the groin area of their assailant.
A child could get away if they can break the hold of an attacker. There are several ways to do this but the two easiest methods are to break the grip from against the thumb and to break one of the assailant's fingers.
To break the grip, the child must be on solid ground. Practice at home holding your child's wrist in a firm grip and have your child yank back while twisting away. This will work if the child remembers to yank against the thumb itself. One finger is weaker than the entire hand. Have your child use this weakness to his advantage.
The other way to break a grip is to actually break the finger of the attacker. Teach your child to grab the end of a finger (pinkie is most effective) and yank it back trying to touch the back of the finger to the back of the hand. This has to be done in a quick, sharp manner.
During all of this, your child should be as vocal as possible. Yell and scream for all they are worth. Strangers that attack children don't want to draw attention. A child should scream things such as help, fire, rape, pervert, and most importantly, NO!
A child needs to know they have the right to say no. At this time most parents will shudder at the idea of teaching a child to say no more than he already does.
Children have a right over their own bodies though. They should always feel comfortable with any touch given. If they are not, then a child needs to know it is all right to say no. That he doesn't have to sit in Uncle Bob's lap or give goodbye kisses to Aunt Jane. Giving them this right lowers the chances of an acquaintance molesting them. It empowers the child by removing the intimidation of the possibly abusive adult.
