child abductions

This may seem like a random post but this is an issue I am REALLY worried about. I have alway been worried about this issues, especially since I was abused as a child as well as I was almost abducted while selling lemonade as a kid. Today however has I went to drop off a friends child at day care I was informed that he was told by his parents when he gets off the bus stop to just walk over to my house and I almost instantly became paranoid. He told me the bus driver just lets him walk even if not adult is present and he is in elementary school..I informed him (hes 9) that I will be picking him up from the bus stop and he will not be walking to my house by himself (the bus stop is down the street from my house) I than started looking up statistics and realized 70% of children abducted are girls and I have 2 daughters... I told hubby that I will never want my kids to go on a bus and if they do and the bus driver just lets them leave with no adult being present i would sue the bus system.... how ridiculous! i thought bus drivers (especially if the children are in elementary school) are not allowed to let children leave without an adult being present... i know i am probably paranoid from everything ive been through but it scares the hell out of me

I think you're a bit paranoid

9 year olds around here walk home all the time. It's not a big thing. When I was a kid, I was walking a half mile to school and back when i was 8 and 9, by myself

Teach him basic safety rules and how to get out of a situation and he'll be good

Not to mention that the vast majority of child abductions are from friends and family, you have little to fear from strangers

I'm not sure about the USA, but kidnapping by strangers isn't really all that common, and not enough for me to worry about. Just teach your kids to be safe, and if you're really super duper worried, put them in some self defense classes or something. I went out all the time at 8-9 and the 90's were more dangerous than now.

I have been through that too, and it has never made me paranoid about it.
My kids have free range, they are 10 and 4 and they go to the park together or with friends without me. My 10 yr old walks a whole block by herself to cath the bus since 6 yrs old. This yr she cant cause my middle has to be 6 to not need an adult at the bus stop, so grade 1.

There is being worried and then there is being overly paranoid. But I am sure location on where you live comes into play as well. Where I live we have had one child abduction about 8 yrs and it was the first one since the 60's.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" I think you're a bit paranoid 9 year olds around here walk home all the time. It's not a big thing. ... [snip!] ... Not to mention that the vast majority of child abductions are from friends and family, you have little to fear from strangers"

 

I'm pretty sure every bus driver in every school system does that with 9 year olds.... Bus drivers are not babysitters.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" I have been through that too, and it has never made me paranoid about it. My kids have free range, they ... [snip!] ... live comes into play as well. Where I live we have had one child abduction about 8 yrs and it was the first one since the 60's."

Your 4 year old goes to the park with no adults? Sorry but that is messed up. what if something happens?

I feel the same way you do. I see young children (8,9,10) walking alone a lot around here and I just don't like it. My kids won't be taking a bus, Rey won't be walking anywhere alone until they are in high school, I still don't let my 6 year old play in our completely fenced in back yard with my husband or I out there.
As far as I'm concerned it's our job to protect them and I'm not taking any chances.

And I'm not a helicopter parent, when we go to the playground or something, it's not like I'm on top of them, and they are allowed to go over other people's houses and such. It's just if there is something I can do to make sure thy are safe, I'm doing it.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" Your 4 year old goes to the park with no adults? Sorry but that is messed up. what if something happens?"

How I live the park is in a circle and the street wraps around it, I am right in front of the park, but they sometimes go to the one on the next street, she is with other kids and her older sister and cousins who are 10 11, and 14. I dont need to be there.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" Your 4 year old goes to the park with no adults? Sorry but that is messed up. what if something happens?"

We did it with my younger brothers, and I'd consider it with my kids depending on how far away the park was.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" I have been through that too, and it has never made me paranoid about it. My kids have free range, they ... [snip!] ... live comes into play as well. Where I live we have had one child abduction about 8 yrs and it was the first one since the 60's."

I live in a not so great area... granted its not horrible to the point where you would considered in "ghetto", but its on a main street and its not a type of town were you would never think something would happen

You're paranoid. I've been getting off the bus by myself since I was like in 2nd or 3rd grade. When I was a kid, I even use to go to the park by myself. I was like..5 or 6. I lived in a neighborhood where we were like one big giant family so I was never really alone and there was a time when I was playing outside with my friends and some creeps tried to get us in a van. And guess what? We ran away.   Good thing my mom taught me about stranger danger.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" How I live the park is in a circle and the street wraps around it, I am right in front of the park, ... [snip!] ... the next street, she is with other kids and her older sister and cousins who are 10 11, and 14. I dont need to be there. "

I couldn't do it. I'd never let my 4 year old go to a park by herself or just with other kids. That is so unsafe and there is no reason why I couldn't go

I don't hover over her. But I bring a book and read while she plays.

It just sounds so unsafe and irresponsible

<blockquote><b>Quoting crazy coupon lady:</b>" How I live the park is in a circle and the street wraps around it, I am right in front of the park, ... [snip!] ... the next street, she is with other kids and her older sister and cousins who are 10 11, and 14. I dont need to be there. "</blockquote>



She's there with other kids, they arent responsible for her. I'm sorry but 4 is way too young to go somewhere without you.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" Your 4 year old goes to the park with no adults? Sorry but that is messed up. what if something happens?"

She's with her sister, I read. I don't see the issue. I see kids younger than that hanging out at the park with their siblings and their sibling's friends around here.

Quoting Kelly&Coralie:" I couldn't do it. I'd never let my 4 year old go to a park by herself or just with other kids. That ... [snip!] ... couldn't go I don't hover over her. But I bring a book and read while she plays. It just sounds so unsafe and irresponsible"

Considering the legal age to babysit here is 10 yrs old for siblings and 12 for other ppls kids, I am pretty sure a 14 yr old can handle it, My driveway is like 20 feet away from the park. I am not overprotective of my kids and it works for us just fine the same as it did when I was growing up.