• Safety Tips:
• School Safety: College Campus Security
• Personal Safety: Drowning
• Questions & Answers:
• Statistics: When Parental Abductions Occur
• One Opinion: Open to Discussion

School Safety:

This spring, as part of their college selection process, thousands of high school students will travel to college campuses to get a sense of what the college has to offer. For many parents, the question of safety looms besides the academic atmosphere. Many college campuses have elaborate security plans, devised to cope with the challenges protecting students from intruders to the campus as well as from unruly enrolled students. Families should not hesitate to inquire from administrators and students on campus what challenges are faced on the particular campus. Students should not be afraid to see security blue lights, bike patrol units, locked buildings that can only be opened by passcards, to name a few modern security features. These features are rather common place, especially in urban locations. Additionally, colleges should have a "right to know" policy that includes a method of dispersing safety information quickly so that all students know if there is a danger at any particular time, such as a known rapist in the area. Ask about this when you tour your child¹s college.    
For more details on what to look for on a college campus, visit both these sites:

http://publicsafety.binghamton.edu/safety.htm  

http://policies.memphis.edu/Procedures/2a_General_Procedures/2a0801.html
 
Personal Safety Tip:  

As the weather grows even warmer, backyard pools will be opening. Every year, toddlers drown when they wander out of sight for a few minutes. To protect your child, be sure that you and your babysitters understand that even turning your back to answer a quick phone call can be enough time for a young child to be in danger. If you have an in-ground pool or an above ground pool, look at how well it is fenced off, and latched securely. Even a ³kiddie pool² left with shallow water can present a danger of drowning.  

Hanging a string of bells on your doorknobs may help you hear your child opening an outside door, but you can¹t rely upon just that. Nothing can replace constant vigilance.  

For more safety information on this topic, you may want to read A Kid's Guide to Staying Safe Around Water (The Kid's Library of Personal Safety) by Maribeth Boelts.

Or visit http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/POLICE/babysi1.html    


Questions from Readers' and Our Answers:  

Q.I have a friend whose child was abducted by her ex-husband. She is frequently overwhelmed by her fears, and grief. Although my heart goes out to her, I hope you may have more ideas about how I could help her or where she could find some help to deal with her situation.  

A. She is lucky to have a concerned friend like you. It may be useful for her to turn to other parents who have experienced this heartbreak. There is a multi-lingual, award-winning web-site that offers support, and legal advice, and connections for parents in her position. It is "the first globally oriented Child Abduction Resource Center on the planet!" Please check it out and refer her to it. We hope it helps. http://www.missingkid.com/  

Statistics:    

The following from a lengthy and fascinating report ­  

PARENTAL ABDUCTION OF CHILDREN: AN OVERVIEW AND PROFILE OF THE ABDUCTOR

Most abductions are perpetrated under the pretext of parents exercising court-approved visitation privileges (1980:266). The children were taken under the guise of day visitation in 12 percent of the cases, 33 percent on weekend visitation, and 10 percent on summer visitation. Thus, day, weekend, and summer holidays accounted for 55 percent of the child abduction cases. The large number of abductions occurring on weekends may reflect both the opportunity to take the child and the need for the abducting parent to take on a full-time parenting role.²

Prepared by:
John Kiedrowski,M.A.(Crim.)
C.H.S. Jayewardene,Ph.D.
KIEDROWSKI AND ASSOCIATES Marlene Dalley, Ph.D.
MISSING CHILDREN'S REGISTRY, R.C.M.P.    

One Opinion ­ Open To Discussion 

Gym locker rooms that are shared by adults and young children can pose awkward situations, and at times dangerous situations. Many YMCA¹s and other facilities are beginning to build separate locker rooms for parents with children, and adults without children to use. Sometimes they even provide ³family locker rooms² that are small, private locker rooms that allow parents to change together with their opposite sex child. This kind of accommodation makes this situation more comfortable for parents since they do not have to stand outside the locker room wondering if their child needs help changing, or fearing that they are exposed to inappropriate behavior.  

Many rest areas on highways are now providing family restrooms for similar reasons. This is a good idea that is appreciated by many families with young children

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