Last week there were stories circulating in Bancroft about a
white van approaching a Bancroft-Rosalie Elementary student. A white van was
seen in town and the license number was reported to law enforcement. The State
Patrol did a background check and found that the owner has no criminal record. The van is question did not match the description of other van sightings
in northeast Nebraska/Western Iowa.
At this point law enforcement does not believe that there is a credible threat to our students. As always, talk to your students about strangers and suspicious behavior.
At this point law enforcement does not believe that there is a credible threat to our students. As always, talk to your students about strangers and suspicious behavior.
I am including some information from the National Crime
Prevention Council website:
Who is a stranger?
A stranger is anyone that your family doesn’t know well.
It’s common for children to think that “bad strangers” look scary, like the
villains in cartoons. This is not only not true, but it’s dangerous for
children to think this way. Pretty strangers can be just as dangerous as the
not-so-pretty ones. When you talk to your children about strangers, explain
that no one can tell if strangers are nice or not nice just by looking at them
and that they should be careful around all strangers.
But don't make it seem like all strangers are bad. If
children need help--whether they’re lost, being threatened by a bully, or being
followed by a stranger--the safest thing for them to do in many cases is to ask
a stranger for help. You can make this easier for them by showing them which strangers
are okay to trust.
Who are safe strangers?
Safe strangers are people children can ask for help when
they need it. Police officers and firefighters are two examples of very
recognizable safe strangers. Teachers, principals, and librarians are adults
children can trust too, and they are easy to recognize when they’re at work.
But make sure that you emphasize that whenever possible, children should go to
a public place to ask for help.
You can help your children recognize safe strangers by
pointing them out when you’re out in your town. Also show your children places
they can go if they need help, such as local stores and restaurants and the
homes of family friends in your neighborhood.
Recognizing and
Handling Dangerous Situations
Perhaps the most important way parents can protect their
children is to teach them to be wary of potentially dangerous situations – this
will help them when dealing with strangers as well as with known adults who may
not have good intentions. Help children recognize the warning signs of
suspicious behavior, such as when an adult asks them to disobey their parents
or do something without permission, asks them to keep a secret, asks children
for help, or makes them feel uncomfortable in any way. Also tell your children
that an adult should never ask a child for help, and if one does ask for their
help, teach them to find a trusted adult right away to tell what happened.
You should also talk to your children about how they should
handle dangerous situations. One ways is to teach them “No, Go, Yell, Tell.” If
in a dangerous situations, kids should say no, run away, yell as loud as they
can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away. Make sure that your
children know that it is okay to say no to an adult in a dangerous situation
and to yell to keep themselves safe, even if they are indoors.
