As soon as your children can articulate a sentence, they can begin the process of learning about personal safety.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office believes that an ounce of prevention if worth a pound of cure. Therefore we offer the following safety information for your use:
- Teach your child his/her name and address and learn how to write them.
- Teach your child his/her home telephone number (including area code) and 9-1-1 and how to dial them.
- Remind your child that if he/she gets separated from you in a public place, NOT to wander around looking for you. Instead, instruct them to immediately go to a cashier or security guard and tell that person that he/she has lost his/her parents and need help.
- Impress upon you child to NEVER get into a car or go anywhere with a person unless your child has your permission to do so.
- Instruct your child that if someone follows him/her on foot or in a vehicle, they should run away to a safe place. A safe place is not normally a wooded area, pile of leaves, unoccupied motor vehicles or abandoned building. A safe place is the home of a friend or relative; a store; or any place where there are other people.
- Teach you child if a person is talking to him/her from a vehicle, do not go near the vehicle. Adults should ask other adults for help.
- Tell you child that if someone tries to take him/her somewhere, quickly get away from the stranger and yell, “This man (woman) is trying to take me away”! Then tell an adult what happened.
- Ask you child to use the “buddy system” and avoid going places alone.
- Remind you child to NEVER hitchhike.
- Explain to your child that no one should ever ask him/her to keep a special secret or to privately take your picture. I someone does, ask your child to tell you, a teacher or other trusted adult.
- Teach you child that no one should tough him/her nor should he/she touch anyone else on parts of the body normally covered by a bathing suit.
- Explain to you child that he/she has the right to say, “no” to anyone who tries to take him/her somewhere, touch him/her, or makes him/her feel uncomfortable in any way.
- Instruct your child not to answer the door when you are not home. Furthermore, your child should not say that he/she is alone when someone calls on the telephone.
- Tell you child that he/she should immediately leave and tell an adult if someone, including a friend, is in possession of a gun or other weapon.