Teaching Our Children Not to Go With Strangers

Teaching our children not to go with strangers is very important. Therefore, you should agree on clear rules with your little ones.
Teaching Our Children Not to Go With Strangers

Last update: 29 January, 2022

Do you know how to teach your children not to go with strangers? One of the biggest fears of parents is that, at some point, their child will be kidnapped. Unfortunately, in our society, there are people who take advantage of any carelessness to do evil. In addition, these people understand that children are very defenseless because they act with innocence and don’t have the ability to easily detect bad intentions.

In addition, little ones are always eager to have fun and to satisfy their desires. Therefore, they can be easily persuaded if they’re promised a toy or a sweet.

For each of these reasons, it’s essential that parents teach children from the very beginning of life that they should never go with strangers. It’s also essential that you instill safety rules in your children for detecting threats.

This is key because it’s not always strangers who can be a threat. There have been numerous situations around the world where a person the child knows takes advantage of their trust to take them away.

However, by agreeing to the rules we’ll explain below, it’s possible to prevent your children from falling victim to this problem. With the tips we’ll recommend, your little ones will be able to be on alert.

1. Always say NO to gifts from strangers

It’s not normal for a stranger to approach a child out of the blue and want to give them a gift. This only happens when they’re helpless and can be a way to take advantage of them.

Therefore, you should make it clear to children that the only safe gifts are those given by their parents and close relatives. Along with this, tell them that they should always refuse offers from strangers and get away from that environment as soon as possible.

Among these offers, any kind of candy or sweets should also be taken into account. In some cases, kidnappers use them to drug children and take them away silently.

A little girl holding out her hand is if to say NO.

2. Never go with strangers

A person who’s a stranger to the child is also a stranger to the parents. If the child doesn’t recognize them, it’s because they’ve never met before.

Because of this, it’s important to explain to the child that a stranger will never take them to a place they know, as they don’t know any information about them or their environment.

For this reason, they should never follow them, even if they promise them the most wonderful experiences. In fact, it’s worth pointing out that with this action the only thing they’re looking for is to disorient the child and keep them away from their parents forever.

3. Don’t hide secrets

If another adult doesn’t want parents to know about a specific matter, it’s because they know that they may alert them of a dangerous situation. As a result, it’s essential to teach children to speak up when others ask them to keep a secret.

This is how parents can guide and protect them in time, as well as explain why that person is harmful.

A little girl looking ashamed while talking with her mother.

4. Don’t reveal personal information to strangers

Attackers tend to use personal information to convince children that they’re friends with their parents and that they’ll be safe. Therefore, you should make it clear to the child that they should never reveal any relevant information about themselves or their family to anyone.

This not only prevents blackmail but also prevents attackers from finding out where the child lives or goes to school.

5. Don’t be afraid to yell for help

Parents should tell their children that no one can try to take them away by force. For that reason, if at any time they’re attacked, they need to shout for help.

This is how they can make sure that everyone around them knows what’s going on and that the offender doesn’t get away with it. Also, by calling for help, they can find the help of an authority that will provide them with security.

A little girl shouting.

6. Agree on a safe word to avoid strangers

Parents and children can agree on a code that only the two of them know. That way, if at some point it’s necessary for another family member or friend to pick them up from school, they can say the magic word so that the child knows that they’re not in any danger.

At this point, it’s important to make it clear to the child that they shouldn’t reveal the safety code to anyone. Otherwise, they’ll be defenseless against the aggressors.

A girl and her mom having a relaxed conversation on the couch.

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7. In case of your child gets lost

Children should be told that at no time should they leave the sight of their parents, as someone may take advantage of the situation to take them away.

Likewise, it should be made clear to them that if they ever feel lost, they should stay where they are. They’ll only become more disoriented and move further away from their caregivers.

Finally, they should know that, in these cases, they should only approach a police officer or a security person. These individuals will be in charge of protecting them and taking the necessary steps to reunite them with their parents.

Don’t put off these important lessons

Agreeing on these simple rules is the ideal way for children to learn to interpret who the people who provide them with safety and security are. In addition, it will allow them to react in time when they’re faced with a possible case of kidnapping. Don’t miss the opportunity to educate them about this important subject.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Naciones Unidas. Manual de lucha contra el secuestro [Internet]. New York: Naciones Unidas; 2006 [citado 29 de diciembre de 2021]

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.