A stranger is a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar with.
Today, in terms of child safety, that has changed, a stranger is not just that. A “stranger” can even be people the child already knows. For the purposes of your child safety we will group them together, both known and unknown and here is why. If you tell your child that he/she should not allow a stranger touch his/her body, what happens when uncle Michael who is a neighbour she greets every morning tries to touch her? Is he a stranger?
What happens when a family friend shows up to pick him or her from school without your knowledge? Is that family friend a stranger?
From the video, we saw last week, we saw how a stranger acted so friendly and the children let down their guard. Imagine what happens when it is someone they are already familiar with.
Remember the saying about the person who knows you being the person who kills you? This is why every family should have their personal safety plan, password or code. Let your child know acceptable behaviours or codes of behaviour and rehearse with them from time to time. This will ensure it’s a part of their consciousness.
We have entered the popular “Mber” months, let’s be more Safety conscious.
So, while we pray, let’s still do the needful.