Kidnapping PSA If you’re a kid reading this, I wanted to let you know that being kidnapped is VERY bad, for reasons you might not know about yet (and don’t need to), but you probably don’t need to worry too much. Kidnapping is pretty rare, but nobody on the Titanic thought they were about to plummet into the depths of the ocean, so you should still keep this info in the back of your mind, Juuust in case. <<THE MOST IMPORTANT PART>>. My main reason for writing this is to just tell you that if a car pulls up to you, even if they look genuinely confused, or if a stranger talks to you, or if somebody follows you, just run. I have friends that talked to people in cars before and I just wanted to let you know that that’s not safe. They could very easily take you. All of the other info in this is stuff you probably know already, I just mostly wanted to make sure you knew THIS, specifically. <<THE OTHER MOST IMPORTANT PART>>: When talking to people on the internet, Never, and I mean never, exchange contact info or personal info, or anything they can use to chat with you privately (like discord or other social media accounts). Never date them, either. If they try to guilt trip you into doing anything you don't want to do, don't do it, and tell your parents about it. If they threaten to do awful things to themself, you, or others, tell your parents, or some other trusted adults, and then you guys can handle the situation together. You might lose certain computer/internet privileges, but honestly if the situation ever gets this drastic you probably aren't going to care that much, and getting away from this person is way more important. If you’re an adult reading this, pass this kind of info on to your kid. I know you know all of this stuff already, and it’s really not my business to tell you how to parent your kids (I’m a kid myself), but this stuff is important to know. Also if you’re a parent, make sure you emphasize how important it is to learn about this sort of thing. My parents always told me all the tips and tricks as well as all the strategies used by kidnappers, and I never really cared all that much, because they never really told me why I had to be careful, just that I did. Make sure they’re scared enough that in the rare instance someone does come after them, your kid fights back and fights back hard. You should also make sure you have a codeword, and keep up-to-date info and pictures of your kid to help identify them. If you get a weird feeling about an adult, just run away. Being polite is good, but your safety matters more. If they ask you to do anything or go anywhere, don't do it, even if it sounds like fun. If they offer food or candy or gifts, don’t take it. If they tell you to go to their car or go anywhere, RUN. If they try to take you to their car, fight back in whatever way you can. Scream. Shout. Bite. Do whatever you can to escape. Even if they fight you back, keep fighting. Gouge their eyes if you need to, or kick/punch them in the privates. If they try to make you come with them in ANY way, run away. A very common strategy they use is to tell you that there’s an emergency at home or your mom was hurt or something. If you don’t know them, it doesn’t matter, just run away, even if they claim to know your friends and family, heck, EVEN IF they have evidence (they could have looked stuff up). Make sure you know what houses are safe to run to in case of an emergency. If they ask you personal questions, don’t answer them. Memorize your parents’ phone numbers, as well as your address and your full name. <<ALSO, ONE MORE THING>>, completely different topic, but be careful about how many pills you take and if you’re taking the right pills. I don’t really have anything more to add on this particular topic, but pill overdoses are incredibly common, and I almost took too many pills myself, so I wanted to make sure that nobody else does that too.
