With many parents on high alert over recent child abductions in the region, children’s advocates are working to get families talking about how to stay safe. Two girls were abducted by strangers this month, 500 miles apart from one another. Suspects in both cases have been arrested, but the fear remains for many parents, says Lynn Huylar, director of the Child Advocacy Center in Cheyenne .
That’s why the Center is partnering with other organizations to equip parents and children with knowledge about stranger safety. Huylar educates families about common lures, like offering a child a ride or asking for help with a lost pet. She says that the odds for survival are much better if children resist right away.
"We wanna educate kids that—don’t leave that first scene. Try whatever you can to not leave that first scene."
She says that includes kicking, making a scene, and running away.
"They can say I don’t know this person, this person is a stranger, they’re trying to take me away."
Most of all, she wants to get caregivers and children talking, even roleplaying, so that should a child can spot dangerous situations and react appropriately.
