PREVENT ABDUCTION THROUGH GAME

The "What If…" game, as advocated by author Sherryll Kraizer, Ph.D., is a teaching game that uses children's spontaneous questions as springboard for discussion.

This game encourages children to talk about their thoughts and helps them come up with their own solutions and strategies to situations, such as abduction and approaches by unknown adults. It is a form of mindsetting and visualization appropriate for children.

How and When to Play

Either you or your child can initiate a question, maybe spurred on by the environment or the news.

At the supermarket, you can ask, "What if we were shopping and when you looked around and couldn’t find me?"

Or she asks after hearing about a child abduction in the news, "What if I was playing and that kidnapper came by?"

You can:

• Resist the temptation to answer it yourself.
• Ask the child what she would do to find out what she thinks.
• Discuss possible solutions to the problem.
• Role-play and portray a variety of characters, such as a clerk, customer, store manager, and stranger.
• Agree on one solution that seems best. Establish working guidelines for what you or your children would do in such a situation.

Guidelines

Some guidelines when playing the "What If…" game and role playing:

• The goal is to teach prevention without inducing fear or discussing abduction.
• Don’t discount their questions.
• If same question is asked repeatedly, likely their fear is not being addressed adequately.

Playing the "What If…" game over time will empower your children to make self-defense decisions by themselves when you are not around.

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.