Do you tell a child the truth about what could happen if they are kidnapped?

Answer 1

All parents should take steps to insure that their children will be safe. For one thing, they should teach their children not to get in a car or go off with strangers-- and they should make sure a child knows what a "stranger" is, since children tend not to regard a friendly person as a stranger. Make sure children know important information like their phone number or address, which they will need in an emergency, and make sure they know how to contact you when they have a question.

That said, be careful not to scare your child unnecessarily. You don't want your child to live in fear that any time someone says hello, it could be a potential kidnapper. If they are taught not to get into a car or go off with someone they don't know without asking you first, that should be sufficient. There is not a lot of need for excessively scary details of what might happen; be age-appropriate, and give them good reasons about why you want to keep them safe. Of course, if you have reason to believe the child might be kidnapped (an ongoing custody dispute, for example), you will need to make sure the child is protected and that he or she knows what to do in a crisis.