in askin ds to play near the house since there has been two near attempted abductions in the area

[ggirl]

don't want to scare the crap out of him but as he and his friends usually play on their bikes/scooters after school I am worried
he's asking awkward questions like-
why would a person want to steal a child?

school have also talked vaguely about stranger danger since the first attempt was reported
another attempt last evening , so have told him he needs to play in garden after school
Am i being hysterical?

Seeker - I know for sure there was an attempted abduction of a 9 year old girl in a local park this summer, also of a 10 year old boy outside the school early one morning two years ago.

Not Facebook (I am not on Facebook) - from police. Neither were in the local or national press.

It does happen I'm afraid.

OP - apart from all the usual advice and warnings (and reassurance that only a tiny minority of people want to hurt or upset children) I have told my 9 year old son about inappropriate touching. I've said 'I know it sounds weird but if any adult tries to touch your willy or bottom it is wrong etc' as otherwise it's all a bit mysterious. And if, God forbid, that does happen he will immediately identify it as wrong.

well non of the ones on our police site made the news.

I live in New Forest town , begins with R.
My friend got a call back from the police.
We are none the wiser tbh.
Police are now not saying it is untrue but not verfiying it is true either.
I wil wait to see if a letter comes home with ds .
Town straddles two counties which apparently confuses things because each apparent incident happened in different counties.
I will be cautious anyway and reassure ds.

Not to start a bunfight, but seeker really what is the purpose of your posts on this thread?

poor ds asked what happens if he can't run fast enough to get away.

That's why I hate the scaremongering because I know it will terrify him and if it's all a bloody rumour !

Awen, just up the road from you in Holbury. There were alerts sent out from Cadland and Manor I believe.

Ggirl - I know where u mean ;) I like visiting a lovely park near there.

It's hard telling them about bad stuff, but as my eldest sister said, it's better they are aware than they be so compelely trusting they are at risk. This was because I told ds1 about the 22 year old man raped in redbridge.

Boris I thought u meant hythe but yes just up from us. Not had anything from schools here but no harm in reminding kids of stranger danger.

"Seeker - I know for sure there was an attempted abduction of a 9 year old girl in a local park this summer, also of a 10 year old boy outside the school early one morning two years ago."

How do you know?

omg i quick google search has shown another 2 up, one in Gateshead in May in a black car with red seats the same as the one in Newcastle in August. I am really freaked out now.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/tyneandwear/9041613.Police_appeal_over_suspicious_incident_involving_young_girl/

Literally just got text from ds1's school

Dear Parent. Important information. To let you know that there have recently been a few reported incidents of attempted abductions in the Waterside area. We will be speaking to Pupils about safety to and from school.

Seeker - as I said, from police. Once via the school (police were called at the time of attempted abduction - this is my dc's school), once via another mum (this summer, about 8 weeks ago) who received an email from the police after enquiring about the incident.

seeker - ive posted 2 links for the NE, people dont just make this stuff up

ps you are being very patronising as if everyone on here are some empty-headed gossips who live on Facebook. I am not/do neither! Both the cases I've mentioned happened in very well populated parts of north London and neither made the papers.

There have been a few incidents outside my kids school resulting in letters home from school. I don't think it even made the local news. Stuff like that happens all the time. It's certain not national news. It's only news when it's successful.

When I was in school we were warned about a man that was flashing. We went looking for him and possibly traumatised several innocent men by pointing and gigling as only a gang of 14 year olds can.

I'm with Seeker. Do you plan on keeping your kids within sight forever based on friends of friends and actual cases from the last century? They won't get kidnapped but they may well have some interesting mental health issues.

Nobidy has mentioned the M word yet...

But how do you know what hes going to do, you cant. A girl told her parents in May that a man in a black car with red seats told her to get in his car. In August miles away in Newcastle the same thing happened. What if them girls didnt have the sense not to get in the car. You dont know what hes going to do and i aint risking my 3 DD's finding out

And katie, read the links its not just friends of friends on FB.

Child abduction attempted and actual, by strangers, does happen but I think that these examples have proven the police work well with the schools to get information out to parents to be vigilant.

Lots of people are unaware of the amount of child abduction that takes place as most often the children are abducted and then released. It is my feeling that most of us are thinking Madeline McCann when we think abduction and that is why people are negating the actual amount that occurs.

It's worthwhile doing whatever you feel is appropriate for your family

So, perrycombover, there are significant numbs of child abductions by strange in this country they are not reported because the child is then released.

How many?
Give some actual occurrences.
How do you know?

I didn't say significant numbers seeker my lovely
I said it does happen and it does

I find it hard to believe that in this information overload age that there are lots of unreported child abductions and returns by people unrelated to the children involved.

How/why would that happen?

I'd need some concrete proof before believing that.

Ok. I delete significant. My questions still stand.

So far I see online stories fron local papers about possible suspicious activities and two actual cases that are old. I still think this standing guard attitude is unhlpful and unhealthy. How do you people leave the house? There are cars to knock thme down, greasy foods and sweets to give them diabetes, trees that could fall on them, dogs that might have been bitten by channel tunnel foxes, doors that might slam on their fingers, attractive women that will drug them and steal their kidneys..

have a look here and then have a look here for some information from the US

My point was that what many of us would think of or consider as abduction isn't the only option or result.
When children are taken or detained against their will and subsequently released most of us wouldn't think of it as abduction. However frightening for the child.
Most only think of the never returned alive/ never seen again scenario equalling a child abduction and therefore imagine that the number of abductions are reduced to those reported as missing in the sense of Madeleine McCann.

Does that make sense?