Being careful with strangers

Safety tips for kids

Who is a stranger and who is trustworthy?

A stranger is someone you don't know at all or who you don't know well enough to trust.

A trustworthy person is someone your parents say you can trust or someone in an official position (police officer, security officer, crossing guard, teacher, school principal, letter carrier, etc.)

Safety tips:

• Ask your parents to point out trustworthy people in your neighbourhood and surroundings.
• Remember that most people are good people, and that a stranger may well be a perfectly good person. But you still can't trust strangers because you don't know them.

What should you do if a stranger asks you for information or help, or asks you to get into their car?

Never get into someone's car and never go anywhere with a stranger, for any reason. Never go anywhere, even with someone you know, unless your parents have given you permission.

Safety tips:

• Stand well away from the vehicle if a driver asks you for questions.
• Set up a secret password with your parents so that if they need you to go somewhere with someone in an emergency, you will know you can trust that person.
• Never walk alone in the street or at the park, and don't go into public washrooms alone; always go with a friend or an adult you trust.
• If someone asks you for help, tell them to ask an adult.
• Always tell your parents where you are and who you're with.
• Say NO to anyone, even a member of your family, who does something that makes you feel uncomfortable, embarrasses you or frightens you. Tell your parents or another adult you trust if anything like this happens.

What should you do if a stranger tries to grab you or force you into their car?

Yell "No, you're a stranger!" and "Help!" as loudly as you can. Run away and go to a safe place to get help.

If there is a phone nearby, call your parents or dial 911(you don't need any money to call 911 from a payphone).

Safety tip:

• Try to remember what the stranger and the stranger's car look like and tell your parents, your teacher, a police officer or another trustworthy person as quickly as possible.
• If a friend gets into a stranger's car, take note of what the stranger and the car look like and quickly tell your parents, your teacher, a police officer or another trustworthy person.

What should you do if you get lost or need help?

If you get lost or need help in a public place (shopping centre, amusement park, metro, etc), ask for help from a trustworthy person:

• police officer
• security officer
• store employee
• parents with children, etc.

If you get lost or need help in a residential neighbourhood, ask a trustworthy person for help:

• neighbour
• school crossing guard
• letter carrier
• school personnel
• clerk in corner store, etc.

Or else

• find a house with a Parent-Secours sign and knock on the door.

Safety tip:

• Never leave a public place without your parents.
• Stay in or near the area where you got lost, because that is where they will look for you first.
• Learn your whole name, your address, your phone number and your parents' phone numbers.
• If there is a phone nearby, call your parents or dial 911 (you don't need any money to call 911 from a payphone).