How to Teach Children NOT to Talk to Strangers

No matter what generation you are from, it is certain that you have heard it from your parents or have already told your children: do not talk to strangers! Caring for strangers is natural and justifiable, but there are situations in which interaction is necessary. We've put together some advice on how to educate your children not to talk to strangers.

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How to prevent contact of children with strangers

Key tips to pass on to the little ones:

1. Clearly define the circle of friends 

Start with basic concepts and simple safety rules, calmly explain to your child that a person A stranger is someone his family members don't know, who is out of his daily life and that's why he can't trust. Also list people he can trust. Tell him that it's okay to interact while you're under his supervision, but that it's not safe and the same can't happen when you're not around.

2. Don't make it a rule

It is important to teach the child to distinguish different situations, do not transform the act of not speaking with strangers on a universal rule, otherwise she won't know how to act when she's lost, for example. If she needs help, instruct her to look for people in uniform (police, security guards or someone else). store employee) and if there are none of the examples cited, look for women or people with children.

3. Watch out for predators on the internet

When we warn them not to talk to strangers, children interpret it as someone who is facing them and often do not take due care when interacting with other people behind the scenes. screens. A study carried out with 4,000 children aged between 8 and 13 identified that 43% of them talked on social media and gaming platforms with people they had never met in real life. Emphasize that the previous rules also apply to the virtual environment and always keep the dialogue open.