by Lindsay Rose

From summer fun to stranger danger. Yes, the latter is quite the bummer of a topic. As you’re planning your summer fun, it’s a good time to remember that new places introduce us to new people. Most of the time, that’s a great thing, but it’s also a good time to remind your children to be smart about strangers.

From the time they are old enough to talk, we tell our children not to talk to strangers, not to go anywhere with strangers and not to accept things from strangers. As they approach their teenage years, the conversation typically shifts on online safety, but the “stranger danger” conversations must continue. Social media sites are the number one tool for predators to reach out to young teens, but the frightening reality is your teens may already be acquaintances with predators from school, at school events, or from typical teen hangouts. Teens, while much more savvy to the ploys of strangers, must be reminded that not all dangerous people fit the typical “bad guy” profile.

In August of 2012, a 14-year-old girl was walking outside Fort Worth’s Ridgmar Mall by herself. It was raining and she was upset because her friends had left without her. A young man drove up next to her and offered her a ride. She declined, but he persisted, showing her his Army uniform to convince her that he was trustworthy. She eventually accepted the ride and became the victim of another child predator.