What To Do If Your Child Goes Missing

If your child is missing or has runaway  stay calm, most children are found or return home of their own accord within a short space of time.

• If your child goes missing whilst you are out with them, inform the store immediately – most shops, shopping centres and public places have procedures set up for missing children. Ask for their assistance in locating your child.
• Don’t move too far from the last spot you saw your child.
• If your child goes missing from home, search the house and then check your child is not with friends or at a neighbours house.
• Check the local area and if possible telephone your child on their mobile phone.
• Check to see if your child has taken any money or clothes with them.
• If you think your child is missing, has runaway or has been abducted phone the police.
• Make sure you give the police a good detailed description of your child or a recent photograph. Tell them what your child was wearing, and places they may have visited or gone to.
• Telephone your child’s friends or any relatives they may have possibly gone to visit and ask them to let you know if they have any contact from your child.
• If your child uses the computer, check this for any clues as to where your child may have gone, or who they may have gone with or to see.

Keeping Your Child Safe

You turn your head away for a moment and suddenly your child is no longer there - we all know how easy it is to lose sight of a child in crowded shopping area or on the beach etc , so here are suggestions for keeping your child safe whether they are out shopping with you, out to play with friends, coming home from school or  home alone

• Take time to discuss with your child safety rules that you have drawn up.  Explain what is expected of them e.g. what time they will be back and where they are going. Ensure they know their phone number, address  and how to use a public telephone box.
• Make sure you know where your children are. Know the names, addresses and telephone numbers of their friends.
• Teach your children to tell you where they are going, how long they will be and when they will be returning home.
• Tell your children about “stranger danger” and define a stranger as anyone your child does not know very well – this can include the milkman, the dustman etc.
• Tell your children about who it is okay to approach for help if they get lost when out e.g. police officer, shop person, a mother with children, a teacher etc.
• For younger children create a password system whereby you and your child agree on a password that you can tell a friend/relative if they are asked to collect your child from school etc and your child will then know that it is okay to go with this person.
• Teach your child the difference between a good secret and a bad secret – a good secret is fun to keep, like a surprise gift for a brother/sister but a bad secret does not feel fun and makes them anxious or scared. Tell them to tell you if anyone tells them to keep a secret which makes them feel bad and emphasis this is not “telling tales”.
• Tell your children to run and scream loudly if a stranger  asks them to go with them or get into a car with them. Tell them not to be afraid to make a fuss.
• Teach your child what to do if they lose you when you are out shopping , or at the beach etc – provide them with a  place to meet  you if you get separated or tell them who they can safely approach – e.g. store staff etc.
• Tell your child that because someone knows their name that does not make them a friend…they may have overheard their name and saying they know someone in their family, may not be true.
• Keep younger children on reins or hold their hands in crowded places.
• Ensure that older children are aware of the risks of being offered drugs/alcohol or being led into prostitution.
• If a child is home alone tell them not to answer the front door and not to tell anyone who calls to the door or by telephone, that they are home alone but to say something like “mummy can’t come to the phone right now, can I take a message”.

Online Safety

Social Networking - a term often used but with little clear definition. You or your child may know it more as MySpace, Bebo or Facebook as these are some of the most popular social networking sites in the UK. But what is social networking?

Social Networking websites provide online communities for people who enjoy the same interests or activities, and they allow users to explore interests or activities of others. Users of social networking sites can communicate through a number of ways, and these include chat, instant messaging, email, video, file-sharing and discussion groups.

Users create their own profile or site, and this gives information about the individual user, for example hobbies, favourite bands and a 'buddy' list of friends who also have a profile on that site.  That means the more information uploaded to an online profile, the more information a stranger or potential child sex offender can get access to. 

That is not to say that social networking sites are bad.  They are a part of modern day life and in many ways open up a number of opportunities for youngsters to explore.

So what can you do? A few simple steps will go a long way…… 

• Talk to your child about how they use social networking sites. What information are they sharing and who are they communicating with?
• Encourage your child to only talk to friends online who they know in the real world. Online friends may not be who they say they are.
• Talk to your children about the risks of posting personal details online such as home address, telephone numbers or what school they go to. One recent case allowed a sexual predator to follow a child on a school visit because they posted details of their school and details of where they were going.
• Remind them that photos and videos can be shared not only by friends online but also seen by others, and they can be on online forever. Make sure that the content is appropriate and would not embarrass or harm if it got into the hands of people not known to them.
• Ask your child to ensure the privacy settings on their profile are set correctly. Sites should be private which means that only people they know in the real world will be able to see their site. If a site is set to be public, anyone anywhere can have access to the site and will be able to see all the information that has been posted. All social networking sites have this privacy setting.
• And finally, keep internet access restricted to a room in the house where you are as well- not in your child's bedroom but in a dining room , lounge or other part of the house where you can easily see what is going on
  
  

Did you know…… 

55% of 11-16 year olds in the UK today have internet access. 33% of them have access in their own bedrooms, often out of sight from their parents.

Find out more…… 

Further information on social networking and tips to stay safe can be found at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents. You will also find a special 'Report Abuse' tab on this site, where you or your child can report any instance of inappropriate sexual contact to us, the police agency focused on tackling this crime.