These tips could help your child travel safely if they walk to and from school in Wichita
After several reports of kidnapping in the Wichita area this week, parents of children who commute to school on foot may be looking for ways to ensure their child makes it home safely.
A man was arrested Thursday after allegedly kidnapping three Wichita Public School students over the course of two days. All three students are now safe.
Another incident was reported Friday morning when a driver attempted to “coerce” a girl to get closer to his vehicle while she was walking to school. Wichita police say they do not believe the suspect is the same individual as the one involved in the alleged kidnappings.
It’s important to teach your children and all students ways to keep themselves safe while they’re walking to school. Wichita Public Schools uses the KidSmartz resource from the National Center for Missing Exploited Children to inform students about walking safety, a WPS spokesperson said in an email to the Eagle.
Here are some of the tips, which you can share with your children:
Don’t say “stranger danger”
Instead of teaching children not to approach someone they do not know under any circumstance, instead teach them to use their judgment when they need help. Tell children some strangers — like parents with children, school clerks and police officers — may be OK to turn to when they need help.
Teach children to pay attention to what people do and who they’re surrounded by before approaching someone they don’t know.
Teach your child how to interact if approached by a stranger
KidSmartz recommends parents teach children common “red flags” to lookout for when approached by someone they do not know.
Those can be things like bribing the child to come in their vehicle, asking the child for help with directions, offering the child something they want or telling the child their parent sent them to pick them up without proof.
Parents and children can practice ways to respond in the event they are approached.
Take a friend
When your child is walking to school without a parent, the “buddy system” is another layer of protection. Tell your child to have someone else, whether it’s a sibling or a friend, with them at all times.
It’s always the safest option to have a trusted adult with them when walking, and that could be a parent, a teacher or a relative.
Encourage your child to inform you if something is wrong
It’s important to teach your children “red flags” so they can not only avoid them, but also let you know if something happened on their route that could possibly be a danger to them or another student.
Make sure your children tell you and a trusted adult at the school if something happens so the schools and school routes are safe places for students.
