And that is the another "modern" problem. I live in a semi-rural village, with 5km to the nearest town. If a teenage child was walking in between them (say they're bike was broken down) and I drive past:
1. I'd think if I stop and offer to pick them up, they might think I'm a potential pedophile/kidnapper. So I'm reticent.
2. They would think, as they likely have been trained, if they put out a hand and ask for a lift it might be be a kidnapper.
Somehow we have conditioned ourselves and our children in the space of maybe 40 years to think the absolute worst is likely when the reality it is actually quite rare.
I’ve been preaching for years that “stranger danger” has done massive harm to society, far far more harm than the bad actors they’re trying to save us from would have done.
Teaching children that all people are inherently bad and you should be afraid of anyone you don’t know sets the tone for how they are going to relate to other people for the rest of their lives.
In my experience most people are good and helpful, I’ve had far far more people be kind to me than harmful or malicious.
Mr. Rogers taught me to “look for the helpers” and that also told me that there are always good people out there who are trustworthy. We need to go back to that.
This is where I really appreciate how Kidpower teaches kids about safety with strangers. They focus on the positive while making sure kids are equipped to make wise decisions when a person or situation is not safe:
- a stranger is someone you don’t know
- most strangers are good
- the safety rules for strangers are to check first with your grown-ups before talking to, going with, or getting something from a stranger
- for kids who are old enough to be out and about on their own, checking first changes to thinking first, i.e. evaluating the situation
- if you are having an emergency where you can’t check first, you can get help from a stranger without needing to check first
