By Town Crier Staff
Nearly 400 children a year are abducted by strangers and never seen alive again. Children can avoid becoming part of this gruesome statistic by understanding a few basic principles and mastering some simple techniques.
More than 200 concerned parents, some with their children, came to hear how this could be done during a Nov. 9 session of “Escape School,” held for Springer students and parents at the Covington School multipurpose room in Los Altos.
The program, sponsored by the Dignity Memorial Network of mortuaries throughout the country, is a fast-paced, one-session child abduction prevention program. It received nationwide exposure through such TV shows as “Oprah Winfrey,” “Good Morning America” and “Hard Copy.”
Richard M. Fisher, a counselor with Lima Family Sunnyvale Mortuary, led the session, by teaching the audience a few simple principles: that bad guys can look like good guys and that actions, not appearance, dictate whether people are out to do children harm. He noted, for example, that potential kidnappers can use “lures” such as displaying a leash and asking a child to help find a lost pet. Another lure could be telling a child something in a car or van contains a favorite item, such as video games.
Another principle Fisher and “Escape School” emphasize is: “Be smart, not scared.” He showed parents, with student assistants, how to break the grip of an adult by using the “windmill” technique — moving your arm in the direction of your captor’s thumb to free yourself.
Another trick is to put a button or some other small object in the ignition of a car so the abductor cannot drive off.
A third option is reaching under the steering column and pulling out a clump of wires.
The session focused on finding help when needed. Fisher said if children are seeking help when trying to flee a predator, they shouldn’t take no for an answer. Fisher had one child hold him in the “Velcro grip” –in which the boy grabbed him by both arms and wouldn’t let go –to get the adult’s attention.
For more information, logon to www.escapeschool.com or www.dignitymemorial.com.
