Back to School: Keeping Your Kids Safe from Predators

Do your kids have everything they need for the new school year? How about the tools to help empower them against predators?

FOX’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s ‘FOX on Family’:

We send our kids back to school with all kinds of supplies, but what about the power to help protect themselves from predators?:

(Franks) “They don’t want to open the can of worms and the can of worms has to be opened.”

Polly Franks, child advocate and author of ‘Devil at My Door,’ had two children victimized by a family friend, who turned out to be a convicted predator from another state. That was before sex offender registries.

She urges parents to know who’s in your neighborhood and anywhere your kids spend time. And make sure they know what’s inappropriate:

(Franks) “Kids already pretty much know just from fairy tales and Disney movies that there are bad people, you know there’s good people and there’s bad people, so I would start there and just, instead of scaring them, empower them.”

They should know to tell an adult if something happens or they feel threatened and keep telling until someone helps. Parents can also watch for nonverbal clues, like a change in behavior or not wanting to go to someone’s house anymore.

And while many schools now teach ‘stranger danger,’ most victims know their predator.

With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.

Polly Franks became a licensed private investigator to help bring her children’s abuser to justice; he’s serving life in prison. She also created the ‘It’s Not Your Fault Foundation,’ a nonprofit group dedicated to helping to protect children. Franks recommends that children never be left unattended, including at bus stops or walking to and from school. She suggests familywatchdog-dot-us for sex offender registry information. Franks also stresses the importance of believing children when they report a problem and to get medical documentation when possible.