In the last post I discussed the Chicken Hawk – the pejorative call name I use for the loathed predator and abductor of defenseless children.  I also boasted that with parents working with their children as Safety Coaches, we could create an attitude and skill set that would prevent almost all successful child/teen kidnappings (96 to 98%).

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING  Attitude is the residue of how one is reared, environment and experience.  In the context of a confrontation with a sexual predator or a bully, then, a child without the guidance of a Safety Coach would naturally react aggressively or passively.  A passive child (I will expound on the aggressive attitude in a future post) is the ideal victim, and, doubtlessly will freeze when confronted and offer no resistance, probably signing his or her own death warrant.  But the parent(s) who takes the crucial role as Safety Coach can implant a Survival Mind Set, an Attitude that communicates to any potential predator, kidnapper, or bully that:

1. I am no “Free Lunch.”
2. I know who you are. I am aware.  I will make others aware of who you are and what you want to do. 
3. I will fight you tooth and nail and I will never give up.
4. I will never give up because my family loves me and I love them and I will do whatever it takes to get back to them.
5. I am aware of escape routes, other adults in the area. 
6. I will never leave the (initial) crime scene with you, even if you hurt me badly!

STAYING IN THE INITIAL CRIME SCENE:  Parents can teach the importance of doing whatever it takes not to go anywhere with the kidnapper.  As painful as it might be to impart this, teach your child that, even if the child is severely injured, preach that at least the ambulance and/or police will find him or her at that scene, and, hopefully, in time, he or she will return to the home where he or she is loved.  The child must keep in his or her mind at all times that the parents love him and he or she must do what it takes to return home.  This philosophy has saved several children who have fought to stay in the initial crime scene.  But—

While teaching a Survival Mind Set and the philosophy of staying in the initial crime scene is important, a philosophy without a Winning Set of Procedures (Tactics) is like a great car without a motor.  Every one of the below tactics can be taught easily by Parent/Safety Coaches:

1.  
   • Serpentine Run:  The best strategy is to run from the scene as soon as the child detects that a “strange” adult (Strange Adult can be defined as anyone who does not “fit” into your child’s environment; any adult who sets off your child’s “Creep Alarm;” any adult whom your child has observed “sharking -walking or driving back and forth, back and forth, watching your child) is approaching.
   • Barricades:  Child should run in a zig zag pattern while identifying barricades in the environment that can buy him time or give him refuge.  Make a lot of noise and look for “safe” adults who can protect you.  Barricades include stores and other common sense rescue spots.
   • “Last Ditch Escape and Evasion (E & E) Techniques”  All the following tactics are techniques to be used only when running away is not an option:

Ø      SURVIVAL ROLL:  Teach your child to quickly and safely Drop and Roll when the adult attempts to grab him or her.  Quickly roll away and roll as if his or her shirt is on fire and he/she is trying to put it out.  Yell, “Help!  He is not my father!”  A large adult will most likely have trouble reaching the child who is rolling.

Ø      KICK WITH FEET:  The Survival Roll will buy your child some time, but, let’s face it:, eventually the adult will catch him or her.  Teach your child to buy more time by spinning onto his or her back and bicycle-kicking viciously with both feet and even spinning on the hips as the Bad Guy circles, trying to find an opening.

Ø      LOCK ON:  By this time I guarantee that the great majority of child predators will have broken off the attack since Speed and Invisibility are their dual goals in any abduction attempt.  Already seconds have turned to minutes and the damned kid is making all this noise and acting crazy (molesters/kidnappers find noisy and “crazy” kids confusing, even frightening).  But there are those kidnappers whose fantasies have driven them into a frenzy and who disregard their fear of the cops showing up and make one last attempt to grab the child.  Teach your child the easily learned skill of Locking or Latching on to the Bad Guy’s lower legs.  As soon as the legs get close, clamp on with both hands and drive the head against the lower shin area.  At the first opportunity Spin the body and Lock Both Legs around the predator’s ankles and hold on for dear life!  The abductor now finds himself trying to pry the child off of his legs as more time ticks away.  True, the adult can kick and punch the child, but as John Hall, the ingenious founder of Kid Escape will tell you, “Self Defense is not an injury free experience.”  John will also point out that whatever injury the child endures in the first crime scene, it will be nothing compared to what will happen once the child is abducted and taken to an isolated scene where the Bad Guy has a lifetime to do what he has fantasized doing for months!

There is much more in the way of Escape and Evasion to talk about, but we will have to wait until the next post where I will discuss other survival tactics, like Improvised Weapons, Strikes and Gouges and Extreme Tactics Once Inside the Abductor’s Vehicle.  Can’t wait.

Hammer

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 am and is filed under Action Against Violence Home Page, Safety and Survival, Sexual Violence, Strategies and Tactics, Youth Violence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.