Posted by Scott on September 8th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
SafeCampusesNow.org provides the following self-defense tips:
What to Do if Faced with an Attacker? The decision is yours. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If you decide to fight back, you must be quick, determined and effective.
- Target the eyes and groin .Keys, pens and pencils can be jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
- Smash a lighted cigarette in their face.
- Aim your fist or palm of your hand in a fast, upward motion to the attacker’s nose.
When walking alone, make sure you have some type of deterrent device and be ready to use it if needed. Some examples are:
- Umbrella: Use both hands to make quick jabbing motions to the eyes, neck, and groin.
- Plastic Lemon: It will squirt about 15 feet. Aim for the eyes; momentary blindness may provide time for escape.
- Sharp pointed items: keys, pens, and pencils can be scraped across the face and eyes or jabbed into the eyes, face or neck.
- If you chose to carry personal defense items like mace, pepper spray or a stun gun, make sure that you know how to use the defense items. Hesitation when using these items may give your attacker the opportunity to take the item away and use it on you.
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Posted by Scott on September 2nd, 2006 — Posted in Politics & Commentary, Self-Defense Advice
The line between defense and offense is very thin. While laws allow for self-defense, those who wish to both successfully and legally defend themselves, and their loved ones, need to know the legal definition of self-defense. Lectlaw.com provides the following legal definition of self-defense:
Legal self-defense is a defense to certain criminal charges involving force (e.g. murder).
Use of force is justified when a person reasonably believes that it is necessary for the defense of oneself or another against the immediate use of unlawful force. However, a person must use no more force than appears reasonably necessary in the circumstances.
Force likely to cause death or great bodily harm is justified in self-defense only if a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
As a general rule no man is allowed to defend himself with force if he can apply to the law for redress, and the law gives him a complete remedy.
Read the full Lectric Law explanation on self-defense.
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Posted by Scott on August 31st, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
Safety Tips for International Travel from Zarc.com:
- Select the largest aircraft available, as they are more difficult to seize and control.
- Avoid traveling first class. This area is frequently used as a hijacker command post.
- Take direct flights to your destination; it reduces your exposure odds to terrorist activity.
- Use your name and business address on luggage tags, but avoid company identification.
- Avoid aisle seats; they make you more vulnerable to the attacks of a hijacker.
- Travel light and lock your luggage. Avoid expensive or conspicuous luggage.
- Take only essential identification with you (i.e., passport, drivers license). Carry business cards in your luggage versus on your person. Keep your passport with you at all times.
- Don’t carry a large amount of cash, sensitive or classified information.
- Avoid large crowds at airports and move as quickly as possible to an area beyond the first security check point.
- Maintain a low profile.
- Avoid business suits; dress casually.
- In a high risk country, make sure the U.S. Embassy has your itinerary.
- Know how to ask for U.S. Embassy personnel, the police, or a doctor in the language of the country you are visiting.
- Know how to use local pay telephones.
- Always have some foreign currency available upon your arrival.
- Be aware of your surroundings and a possible means of exit at all times.
Get more security tips at Zarc.com
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Posted by Scott on August 28th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
I just found a new site called No Nonsense Self-Defense. The site is packed with information on self-defense and security. The site provides “you with free, easy-to-use information to keep you safe from crime and violence, including robbery and rape. Our goal is is to assist you achieve personal safety. The information we provide is tailored for your needs in the modern world. You will find a wide spectrum of crime prevention information, including home security, property protection, robbery prevention and self-defense.”
“An overwhelming majority of our recommendations are non-violent and should have no negative impact on your lifestyle. While the ability to defend yourself is important, we believe that common sense preventative actions are a far more reliable way to ensure your personal safety and the safety of your family. You don’t have to pay money, learn a martial art, buy a gun or become paranoid in order to be safe. All you need are to know the details of the problems and then use a little common sense. After that, it’s easy. When it comes to crime and violence, the old saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is not only true, but a potential life saver. The hardest part is doing your homework before you find yourself in a situation — and that is what you are doing now.”
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Posted by Scott on August 27th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
The real trick to self-defense involves preventing an attack before it happens, not violently defending oneself while the attack happens. That’s the wise advice from a great kidshealth.org article on self-defense. Although KidsHealth geared their advice towards teens, the rule applies to everyone.
As the article correctly says, many people think of self-defense as a karate kick to the groin or jab in the eyes of an attacker. But self-defense actually means doing everything possible to avoid fighting someone who threatens or attacks you. Self-defense is all about using your smarts – not your fists.
Also, the article mentions a great tip for late-night walking: A dog can provide protection by acting as both defender and alarm. By bringing a dog along, a walker can easily stay safe.
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Posted by Scott on August 24th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
Self-defense isn’t pretty, it’s nasty. If you want to be able to defend yourself by hand, when necessary, you have to be prepared to use hardcore techniques that will get the job done.
U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Larry Jordan was given a unique assignment by his commanders: come up with a truly down-and-dirty hand-to-hand fighting system for his fellow Green Berets and U.S. Army Rangers. The goal of this system was to give soldiers a handful of hard-core techniques that could be easily learned, easily mastered and effectively applied in any close-combat situation. Jordan devised a set of 12 techniques that were surprisingly simple, shockingly fast and brutally effective. He has now adapted this military system for civilian self-defense. He calls it “The Dirty Dozen.” The 12 self-defense lessons in this book are specifically designed to provide the average citizen with a series of easily learned techniques that will enable him or her to prevail in any violent situation. Besides the ever-present threat of violent crime, the recent terrorist attacks on 9/11 show that people can no longer rely on “somebody else” to protect them. Preparing to resist and defeat evildoers is everyone’s responsibility now. That’s where The Dirty Dozen comes in.
You can use Amazon to purchase Jordan’s book, Dirty Dozen: 12 Nasty Fighting Techniques For Any Self-Defense Situation.
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Posted by Scott on August 21st, 2006 — Posted in City Safety, Self-Defense Advice
City Safety: Beyond the Basics
by Jennifer Shukla
I may not be an expert on safety, but I do have a degree in psychology and have worked in a criminal law office, so I know a little about how criminals think. Plus, I’ve lived in lots of cities with high crime rates including New York, Boston, Washington D.C, and Philadelphia and picked up a few safety tips along the way that I’d like to share.
Anyone living in a city and concerned about safety has heard the basics a million times: don’t walk alone at night, stay in well lit areas, etc. Now, I’m not suggesting that you disregard this advice because it’s good important advice to stick to as much as you can. But, I do know that realistically there are times when you just can’t stick to those basics for some reason. The friend you are visiting lives in a dimly lit alley or you got a headache at a party and decided to head home earlier than everyone else. In those kinds of situations, keep these tips in mind:
REMEMBER ATTACKERS PREY ON VICTIMS WHO ARE ALONE:
If you are alone, your attacker doesn’t have to know that. If you sense danger or are approached by an attacker, one of your best chances of escape is to seek out other people. If you’re close to any open store or populated building, go inside and talk to somebody. If you are near any people at all (other than the potential attacker), approach a group of random strangers and pretend you know them. If you walk up to a stranger and enthusiastically say “It’s so great to see you again,” most people will instinctively respond as though they know you, because they don’t want to admit they’ve forgotten who you are. You’ll have plenty of time to explain the situation once the attacker moves on. You might feel silly, but attackers prey on victims who are alone. If you can fool your attacker into thinking you are with people, the attacker will move on and find a new victim.
USE YOUR CELL PHONE:
A lot of experts disagree with me on this point and say that you should always be aware of your surroundings and not distracted by a phone conversation. I say it’s the opposite: would-be muggers, robbers, or rapists are fundamentally afraid of being caught. If they know that you are talking to someone else who might know exactly where you are, they won’t attack you because they will be afraid that the person on the other end of the phone will call the police or come to your aid. I say anytime you are walking alone in a city, call a friend or call a family member. If it’s too late to call anyone, just pretend to call someone and have a fake conversation. You might feel silly, but no one else knows whether there is someone on the line with you. As long as you’re on the phone with someone, let them know where you are and what route you will be taking. That way if something ever did happen to you, your friend could notify the police or your family and at least they would have a good lead and know where to look for you.
HAVE YOUR SAFETY DEVICE ACCESSIBLE:
It’s always a good idea to carry some sort of pepper spray, stun gun, or other legal safety device. But, that device won’t do you any good if it is buried at the bottom of your bag. An attacker will not politely wait as you dig through your books, papers, iPod, and other stuff to find your pepper spray. Instead, if you are going to carry a safety device, keep it somewhere you can grab it quickly. If you don’t have a safety device, consider keeping your car keys or apartment key in your hands. It looks perfectly natural to carry keys and a quick jab with a metal key in the face or crotch can give you a few crucial seconds to escape.
YELL FIRE OR SING LOUDLY FOR HELP:
Sadly, most people don’t respond to the words help or rape. Maybe it’s a fear of being put in danger themselves or an assumption that someone else will hear the cry and provide the needed aid. In any event, screaming help or rape is not very likely to cause people to run over to help you. If you find yourself in danger, scream something like “FIRE,” “OH MY GOD!,” or “WOW!” Or you can sing really loudly or bang on things near you. They idea is to make a loud sound that makes people curious rather than sounds like you are asking for help. Curious people are much more likely to come see what the racket is all about. Once they observe your predicament, they will be more likely to help than if they had heard a cry for help in the first place.
LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION:
This is the most important advice I can give you. The human body is amazing and can often detect danger at a subconscious level long before you have any cognitive indication that you are in trouble. What I’m talking about here is a gut feeling that something isn’t right or that you’re in danger even when you can’t put your finger on any specific hazard. When you get that hunch or intuition, listen to that feeling and get yourself out of the situation fast. You might be concerned that if you overreact and are wrong about being in danger, you will be embarrassed or feel awkward. But consider this, mere embarrassment is far better than being raped, mugged, or attacked. I’ve only experienced a really strong feeling that I was in danger once in my life; here is that story…
While living in the financial district of New York City, I planned to meet some friends in mid-town for a few drinks one night. I decided it was only 10:00 p.m. and not that late, so I decided to walk the two blocks to the subway station rather than spend the extra money to take a cab. Just after I left my building, I noticed a man start walking behind me. When I turned at the street corner, he also turned. Then when I descended the staircase to enter the subway station, he also entered just a few feet behind me. When I got to the subway station, I saw that the train must have just left because it was deserted and the man behind me was the only other person there. The man wasn’t particularly large and wasn’t carrying a weapon; he wasn’t screaming or trying to attack me, but for some reason every alarm in my body was going off telling me I was in danger. Logically, I told myself that he was probably just a perfectly nice person also waiting for the train, but nonetheless it didn’t feel right to me. I listened to my intuition and quickly walked across the station to the opposite staircase, went up to the street, and jumped in the first cab I saw.
The next morning, a sign was posted in my building stating that a young woman had been raped by a man traveling alone one block from the subway station near my building at 10:30 pm, roughly 30 minutes after I had bolted from the train station. I don’t know whether the rapist was the man that followed me to the subway that night, and I probably never will, but I do know this. I am very glad I listened to my intuition that night and got the hell out of that subway station.
Stay Safe
I can’t promise that if you keep these tips in mind you will be perfectly safe and nothing will ever happen to you. But, I can tell you that you’ll be a lot less likely to be attacked than you otherwise would be if you consider these tips. Just remember these two basic rules: attackers are afraid of being caught, and it’s always better to feel awkward or silly than to be raped, mugged, or attacked.
© Copywrite 2006 Jennifer Shukla. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted by Scott on August 15th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Keith Pascal
You never know, when someone is going to flip out, and start firing a gun into a restaurant or store filled with innocent people.
It could happen. It has happened. And now we have the threat of terrorism added.
So, how do you stay safe?
Here’s a simple tip, adapted from the world of martial arts.
Many martial artists never sit with their back to a door, or a street-oriented window.
These martial artists always sit with their backs to a wall, ‘facing’ the door. It’s their safety precaution.
This is actually a pretty good idea. Anyone can adapt this tactic for being a little safer in this world.
I do have a suggestion, to make this tip more practical for the non-martial artist:
You don’t necessarily have to be the person with your back to the wall.
It makes more sense to to put the most aware person facing the door. If you are with a group of friends or family, put the person who notices everything in this guard position.
This could be you, or it might be a friend or relative.
This ‘wandering eyes’ person doesn’t have to even be a martial artist. He or she can yell “duck” just as well as a kung fu expert.
This tip gives you a little edge. Take these simple precautions whenever you can. They add up — and one day, a tip like this could save your life.
Remember, to make this tip work, all you need is a Designated Watcher!
About The Author: Keith Pascal is the senior editor of the Free, weekly ezine “Martial Arts Mastery: A Tell-All of Tips, Tactics, and Techniques.” Receive a self defense eBooklet, more practical tips, and some sample issues, when you join. All for Free. Go to: http://www.kerwinbenson.com/?selfgrowth
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Posted by Scott on August 13th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
by Scott Hughes
Guys, if you’re like me, you know that violent crime and victimization is very real. You know of the dangerousness of our times. You understand the importance of self-defense and preparedness. And, you worry about the women that are important to you.
Ladies, you have to not only take care of yourself, but also worry about the other women in your life. I hope the following helps you create a successful defense strategy.
Let me share 4 tools you want to make sure all the women you care about have to protect themselves:
1. Make sure every woman has a defense spray, such as pepper-spray or Mace. The usefulness of defense sprays should be obvious. Since defense-sprays are non-lethal and cause no permanent damage, they can be used without hesitation. Additionally, because of their particular defensiveness, defense sprays are permitted into most places, unlike more brutish weapons such as knives or guns. Defense sprays are definitely the defense weapon of choice. They are so safe and ideal for defense, that most people don’t even call them a weapon. You can ensure all-around defense spray protection with a multi-pack, such as the Pepper Shot Tri-Pack.
2. Make sure every woman has a personal alarm, a car alarm, and home alarm. Although it may seem redundant to have both a defense spray and a personal alarm, it isn’t. A personal alarm offers a completely different defensive tactic. Unlike just a defense spray, a personal alarm sends out a screeching alarm that is easily recognized as a call for help. Such an alarm not only will notify others around to get help, but the alarm can also force the assailant to abort the assault. Personal alarms are available here.
3. A dog can serve as a great defense tool. They say dogs are man’s best friend, but I also think dogs can be woman’s best friend as well. Dogs often can act as a simple preventive measure, because most assailants and burglars will be scared away by a dog. Assailants want easy targets; they have no reason to bother with difficult ones. The dog can help both at home and on walks. Often dogs can work more effectively than electronic alarms. Also, the presence of a loving dog offers comfort that an alone woman otherwise wouldn’t have. Even if you don’t have a dog at home, you can use the Electronic Dog Watch to mimic the presence of a dog.
4. Make sure every woman takes self-defense classes. I’m often shocked by the number of women who take non-defensive courses such as yoga and aerobics, but don’t take self-defense classes; especially since most of the health and fitness benefits also come with many self-defense and martial arts courses. A self-defense and safety class will teach the student both the physical techniques and the psychology of preventing and surviving dangerous situations. Use these guidelines for choosing a self-defense course.
Obviously, it is up to each person individually to prepare and handle their own defense in their own way. A successful defense strategy consists of more then 4 simple tools. A successful defense strategy includes a myriad of tools, and both an understanding and usage of those tools. For women, I hope you use these tools as the building blocks of a successful defense strategy. For men, make sure the women you care about have these tools to build a successful self-defense strategy.
Buy self-defense products such as pepper spray and stun guns at http://scottsafetyshop.com/ .
About The Author: Scott Hughes owns and manages ScottSafetyShop.com, an online self-defense and security store. Scott Hughes also manages a blog on safety, self-defense, and security at http://scottsafetyshop.com/blog/ .
You may republish this article so long as all links are kept intact and you include the “about the author” footer.
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Posted by Scott on August 13th, 2006 — Posted in Martial Arts, Self-Defense Advice
Ideally, a good self-defense program should reflect these philosophical points in its outlook:
1. No one asks for, causes, invites, or deserves to be assaulted. Women and men sometimes exercise poor judgment about safety behavior, but that does not make them responsible for the attack. Attackers are responsible for their attacks and their use of violence to overpower, control and abuse another human being.
2. Whatever a person’s decision in a given self-defense situation, whatever action she/he does or does not take, that person is not at fault. Someone’s decision to survive the best way she can must be respected. Self-defense classes should not be used as a judgment against a victim/survivor.
3. Good self-defense programs do not “tell” an individual what she “should” or “should not” do. A program should offer options, techniques, and a way of analyzing situations. A program may point out what USUALLY works best in MOST situations, but each situation is unique and the final decision rests with the person actually confronted by the situation.
4. Empowerment is the goal of a good self-defense program. The individual’s right to make decisions about her participation must be respected. Pressure should not be brought to bear in any way to get someone to participate in an activity if she’s hesitant or unwilling.
Guidelines For Choosing A Self-Defense Course
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Posted by Scott on August 9th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
Building Blocks of an Effective Personal Safety Strategy
by Randy LaHaieThe study of self-defense cannot be easily defined with quick, easy, and over simplistic solutions. Acquiring a legitimate sense of control over your personal safety requires knowledge and skills in seven key components. Neglect any of them, and you do not have a complete and effective safety strategy.
Component #1 Survival Psychology
The need to feel safe and secure is ingrained in all of us. Many psychologists consider the fear of interpersonal violence to be a “universal human phobia.” The thought of becoming the victim of a criminal or violent act is disturbing. Unmanaged fear or a sense of helplessness can erode our health and the quality of our lives. Being safety conscious does not mean being fearful, paranoid, or afraid to leave your house. Quite the contrary, self-defense knowledge and skills build a sense of control essential to a sense of security and well-being.
Survival psychology consists of three broad areas:
1. Understanding and managing FEAR
2. Motivating yourself to be “RESPONSE-ABLE” for your personal safety through study and training, and…
3. Understanding the impact SELF ESTEEM has on emotional resilience, crisis performance and victim selection.
Component #2 Survival Intelligence
Your most powerful weapon is your brain. Understanding the dynamics of confrontations will have a big impact on your ability to recognize, avoid or respond effectively to violence.
Survival Intelligence is the cultivation of knowledge, intuition, awareness and assessment skills. Every violent situation is preceded by pre incident clues. Knowing how to recognize and respond to them is the essence of successful self-defense.
Component #3 Understanding Victim Selection
Psychologists showed a videotape to penitentiary inmates who were doing time for violent crimes. The tape depicted several people going about their day-to-day activities. The inmates were instructed to indicate which of the people on the tape they would select as victims.
The researchers were surprised at the consistency of the selections made. An analysis of the results identified common traits unique to those who were selected and those who were passed over.
Not everyone will become the victim of a violent crime. In fact, for everyone who is victimized, dozens more are evaluated and passed over. By understanding first of all that there is a selection process, as well as the criteria of a “desirable target”, you can influence that process.
People who are trained in self-defense are seldom confronted. Their awareness and skills (movement, posture, etc.) project unconscious signals to a predator that they are not an easy target. The predator looks elsewhere.
Component #4 Recognizing Predatory Behavior
There are no unique physical characteristics that separate people who victimize others from those who don’t. Usually, they look just like anyone else. However, behavior is another matter.
Most communication is non-verbal. We transmit much of our intent in the way that we communicate and behave.
There are essentially two types of “bad guys” to be aware of. The predator, who deliberately sets out to locate, select and attack a suitable victim and the ticking time bomb. The latter is emotionally unstable and prone to violent outbursts. Unlike the predator, who is more methodical in his approach, the time bomb will lash out at anyone who happens to get in his way.
By understanding predatory selection and attack methods, you are able to recognize and avoid them. This involves learning to detect and recognize behavior cues that identify a potential assailant before the selection process is complete.
Component #5 Response Option Theory
It is dangerous and negligent to imply that there is a single solution to ALL threatening situations. There is, in fact, a range of responses available to you. The situation and circumstances will dictate which of them is most appropriate.
When learning a response system, you must also consider the legal consequences of your actions. We all have the legal right to defend ourselves. However, at what point does an effort to defend yourself become excessive? How do we know how much force to use to defend ourselves? Any self-defense program should discuss your legal right to defend yourself, how to respond appropriately and how to justify your actions.
There are 5 categories of response options relevant to confrontational situations. They are: • Compliance
• Escape
• De-escalation
• Assertiveness
• Fighting Back
Which one is the most appropriate depends on the circumstances and nature of the confrontation. You should possess skills in each response category as well as the knowledge about when each is applicable.
Component #6 Prevention Tips
Prevention tips are simple, precautionary steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that you will become the victim of a crime. However, these lists of “do’s and don’ts” could number in the hundreds.
It is unlikely that you will remember them all. You don’t need to. By understanding the operative principles behind prevention tips, you can improvise safety tactics “on the fly”. Armed with this knowledge and your own common sense, you can incorporate those tips with which you feel comfortable and which are conducive to your lifestyle.
Component #7 Training Methods
Competence is the result of your physical conditioning, skill and attitude. Effective self-defense skills are the result of gradually and consistently incorporating safety habits into your life. For those who do take the time to enroll in a self-defense class, realize that without review and practice, 70% you learned will be forgotten.
There are many benefits to adopting the study and practice self-defense into your regimen. It can be used to improve fitness, to manage stress and to create safer habits that can reduce the potential of being accosted or attacked.
The most frequent questions I am asked by seminar candidates are: What can I do to follow-up the training I received? What can I do to feel more confident and build on my skills? That is the primary purpose of this web site.
Conclusion
In the future, I will provide more in-depth information within each of the seven components. I will include articles, recommend good books, and highlight resources to improve your self-defense knowledge and skills. If you have any feedback, suggestions or questions, please send me email. I’d like to hear from you.
In the meantime, be “response-able” and stay safe!
If you have any questions or comments please click on my name to email me:
Randy LaHaie
Protective Strategies
About The Author: Randy LaHaie is the owner of Protective Strategies, a training and consulting company providing personal safety training to individuals, high-risk professionals and law enforcement officers. He has an extensive self defense and use-of-force background spanning almost 30 years. The Protective Strategies Self Defense Resource Center is located at: http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com . Randy can be contacted by email at: Randy@protectivestrategies.com
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Posted by Scott on August 8th, 2006 — Posted in Self-Defense Advice
By Tony Skerritt
The younger you start to train your child in home and personal security matters the easier it will all be. We have all seen on TV the security video of a kid being abducted by a stranger or doing other unsafe things that put themselves in serious danger. I am not trying to create a dangerous environment here by spreading doom and gloom and bad news. Please read this article in the manner it was intended, that is as a help tool. Read it and learn, then be aware of what is happening to your kids. Believe me, any effort to do this will be a lot easier than what you will go through if you do not exercise good basic common sense in this matter and train your kids on how to be smart with their safety. Train your kids on the following NOW.
1. The first thing to train them on is how to make a 911 call. Make sure they understand it is OK to do this and when they should do it. Many a like kid has save a parents life knowing how to do this.
2. Teach them the home emergency drills. How to get out of the house in a fire, what to do if a stranger is in the house etc. Do not frighten them with this. Just explain so they understand how to do it. Have them show you how they are going to do it so you know they can actually do it. Doing is a better learning tool that listening.
3. Children should be on the lookout for situations or actions that make them feel uncomfortable, rather than certain kinds of people. (“Stay away from strangers” is a popular warning used to prevent child abduction and exploitation, however, many children are harmed by “acquaintances.”). You need to teach them what a “stranger” is without teaching them that all strangers are dangerous. They are not by a very long way. Almost any stranger a kid walks up to if they are in trouble will help them. Only a very small percentage will be a problem and the problem ones will probably be.
4. If someone tries to take you somewhere, quickly get away f you can. Run and yell “Someone is trying to take me away!” Scream “No! No !No!”. Run to any other adult you can find and ask for help. Anyone is better than the person who is trying to take you. Run into the nearest house, shop or business. Do not knock or ask just run in and scream for help.
5. If someone follows you on foot or in a car, run to a “safe place.” A safe place is where there are other people around … the home of a neighbor or friend or a store; not a wooded area or unoccupied building.
6. Practice this with your kids and quiz them on it in a light way so they do not get upset. Just make sure they have it down and do not have to think about it.
7. If they get caught with a predator or other person who is intending to harm them then FIGHT. I personally taught my kids to go for the eyes and crotch and do it immediately they are caught. Any kid can poke an eye with a finger or use their knee if the opportunity arises. It is a very painful blow and will in all likely hood allow enough time for the kid to escape. This sounds bad, dangerous, hurtful, politically incorrect etc but do you really want to deal with the alternative. The damage done will repair itself in short time and your kid may have just saved their life.
8. Parents should always carry pictures of their children (taken within the last 6 months) and should take time every day to make a mental note regarding the clothing being worn by their children. Keep their vital stats up to date. i.e height, weight, scar’s, distinguishing marks etc.
9. Develop family check-in procedures so you always know where your child is, and your child knows where you are.
10. Learn the routes your kids use to get to school and back or friends homes. Take a walk with your kids over thee routes and point out any safety issues like alleys, drug houses, known perverts and criminals etc. You can go to the http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ web site for listed sex offenders.
11. Help your child understand who or what a stranger is.
12. Keep a list of your children’s friends and their parents’ names and phone numbers.
What unique risks are associated with children? When a child is using your computer, normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient. Children present additional challenges because of their natural characteristics: innocence, curiosity, desire for independence, and fear of punishment. You need to consider these characteristics when determining how to protect your data and the child. You may think that because the child on the computer is only playing a game, or researching a term paper, or typing a homework assignment, he or she can’t cause any harm. But what if the child deletes a necessary program file? Or what if she unintentionally downloads a malicious web page that infects your computer with a virus? How do you know hwat he is doing when you are not in the room, what is he looking at, what sites is he visiting. These are just possible scenarios. Mistakes happen, but the child may not realize what she’s done or may not tell you what happened because she’s afraid of getting punished. Online predators present another significant threat, particularly to children. Because the nature of the internet is so anonymous, it is easy for people to misrepresent themselves and manipulate or trick other users (see Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for some examples). Adults often fall victim to these ploys, and children, who are usually much more open and trusting, are even easier targets. The threat is even greater if a child has access to email or instant messaging programs and/or visits chat rooms (see Using Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely for more information). What can you do? 13. Be involved – Consider activities you can work on together, whether it be playing a game, researching a topic you had been talking about (e.g., family vacation spots, a particular hobby, a historical figure), or putting together a family newsletter. This will allow you to supervise your child’s online activities while teaching her good computer habits.
14. Keep your computer in an open area – If your computer is in a high-traffic area, you will be able to easily monitor the computer activity. Not only does this accessibility deter a child from doing something she knows she’s not allowed to do, it also gives you the opportunity to intervene if you notice a behavior that could have negative consequences.
15. Set rules and warn about dangers – Make sure your child knows the boundaries of what she is allowed to do on the computer. These boundaries should be appropriate for the child’s age, knowledge, and maturity, but they may include rules about how long she is allowed to be on the computer, what sites she is allowed to visit, what software programs she can use, and what tasks or activities she is allowed to do. You should also talk to children about the dangers of the internet so that they recognize suspicious behavior or activity. The goal isn’t to scare them, it’s to make them more aware.
16. Monitor computer activity – Be aware of what your child is doing on the computer, including which web sites she is visiting. If she is using email, instant messaging, or chat rooms, try to get a sense of who she is corresponding with and whether she actually knows them. Talk to them, teach them and get them to understand and do it in a manner that does not make the kid wrong or bad. Remember they have their own issues and problems they work over and stomping on their buttons only makes the kid pull away from you and stop listening. You need to be their friend on this.
17. Keep lines of communication open – Let your child know that she can approach you with any questions or concerns about behaviors or problems she may have encountered on the computer.
18. Consider partitioning your computer into separate accounts – Most operating systems (including Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux) give you the option of creating a different user account for each user. If you’re worried that your child may accidentally access, modify, and/or delete your files, you can give her a separate account and decrease the amount of access and number of privileges she has.
19. If you don’t have separate accounts, you need to be especially careful about your security settings. In addition to limiting functionality within your browser (see Evaluating Your Web Browser’s Security Settings for more information), avoid letting your browser remember passwords and other personal information (see Browsing Safely: Understanding Active Content and Cookies). Also, it is always important to keep your virus definitions up to date (see Understanding Anti-Virus Software).
20. Consider implementing parental controls – You may be able to set some parental controls within your browser. For example, Internet Explorer allows you to restrict or allow certain web sites to be viewed on your computer, and you can protect these settings with a password. To find those options, click Tools on your menu bar, select Internet Options…, choose the Content tab, and click the Enable… button under Content Advisor.
21. There are other resources you can use to control and/or monitor your child’s online activity. Some ISPs offer services designed to protect children online. Contact your ISP to see if any of these services are available. There are also special software programs you can install on your computer. Different programs offer different features and capabilities, so you can find one that best suits your needs. The following web sites offer lists of software, as well as other useful information about protecting children online.
22. GetNetWise – http://kids.getnetwise.org/ – Click Tools for Families to reach a page that allows you to search for software based on characteristics like what the tool does and what operating system you have on your computer.
23. Yahooligans! Parents’ Guide – http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/parents/ – Click Blocking and Filtering under Related Websites on the left sidebar to reach a list of software. We know your family’s safety is your top priority. The best way to make sure they stay safe is by talking about the points we’ve listed above. Make sure everyone in the family understands how important it is to follow the family safety guidelines. Again keep it light and non threatening. Scared kids will have you up all night with nightmares and this does not need to happen if done right. COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY. ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVE WITH COMMUNICATION, EVEN WITH KIDS.
Tony Skerritt is the owner of http://www.officialstolenlost.com, a web site to list stolen and lost property. He is a home and personal security expert.
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