FAMILY ESCAPE PLAN

Family self-defense situations can include a home intruder, carjacking, and attacks in public. Objective for children is to escape and get help.

Using family drills, role play, and mindsetting with the entire family, especially children, teaches them how to react without scaring them.

Adults are usually victims first, so children have a better chance of survival. In addition, criminals who get the children use them to control parents to comply. Ensure children escape immediately for their own safety and to get help.

Home Escape Plan

With all members of the family, go through the house, room by room. Involve children in deciding what the best way to escape to the outside from a particular room is – through a window or door. With some rooms you may have to go through another to escape.

Discuss with children what they think the best way to escape is. Involvement empowers them to act confidently when the real situation comes.

Perform drills if they can be done safely, to ensure retention and work out any kinks.

Choose a safety neighbor and 2 backups that children go to when they escape. Discuss with those neighbors what you are doing and how they can help if the children ever come up to them after escaping. Children stay with the neighbors once the intrusion or fire is reported.

Carjacking Escape Plan

Practice both getting in and out of the car fast.

Use a code phrase that signals to everyone to respond immediately, such as "Emergency, get in fast!" or "Emergency, get out fast!"

For getting into the car, everyone should have a specific door and seat to get to, to avoid hesitation and indecision.

For getting out of the car, plan out in different scenarios where children can go to for help. A mall, a supermarket, residential or business street.

Public Escape Plan

A stranger can lunge and attack, or you hear gunshots. Again, use an emergency phrase such as "Emergency, run fast!"

Discuss who to follow and where to go. Keep the family together if possible. Primarily have the child escape to get help.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Books Self-defense books for parents, guardians, and children. Includes recommended books.
• Videos Self-defense DVDs and videos appropriate for both children and parents. Learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home.
• Training Live children's self-defense training from qualified instructors allows more personalized training, technique correction, and practice.
• Information Additional websites that provide self-defense and personal protection information related to child abuse, abduction, bullying, and Internet safety.
• More Articles Read more self-defense articles on protecting children from our library.