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We have all heard media stories in the past about how women are killed just for their babies. What precautions should a pregnant woman take to protect herself from some nut job that might be watching her so that they can snatch a baby?

The first point to keep in mind is that while these types of crimes define new depths that some are capable of descending to, they are extremely rare when one considers the annual birth rate in the United States.  That being said, these crimes do occur and therefore it is important to understand this threat and take important steps to avoid becoming a statistic.

To begin this discussion, let me point out that by the very intent of the crime the period that an expectant mother is most vulnerable is the third-trimester. Since the perpetrator intends to masquerade the child as her own, she is not likely to put her assault plan into motion since it is preferred that the birth mother carry the child close to full term. This is an important point to remember, as it becomes the focal period for heightened security awareness, a point that will be addressed below.

The second most crucial timeframe is post-partum up until the newborn adds 10-15 pounds to its birth weight.  The reason for this is because as the child develops it becomes extremely difficult for the abductor to present the child as her own, particularly among family, friends and neighbors.

Taking the first point into consideration, practically all pre-planned criminal activities rely upon two critical components if there is to be any chance of success, namely; surprise and predictability. Speed is also important but generally less vital than the previous components. Our goal then is to deny criminals the element of surprise and to adopt patterns that make us less time and place predictable.

We are able to defeat surprise by fine-tuning our suspicious nature and embracing the sensual stimuli that accompanies it.  Everyone one of us has an example of feeling the hair at the nape of our neck stand-up.  Chances are if you can recall the exact instance when it last occurred, you where confronted with a situation that was abnormal to your personal level of comfort, that which looks, feels, tastes or smell foul usually is.  This is an example of sensual stimuli and is naturally occurring biological feedback that serves as a defense mechanism, call it a sixth sense if you like, but recognize and embrace it for what it is and the role it plays in our personal safety and survival.  There are numerous mental exercises that can put you more in touch with your sensual stimuli, and some are quite entertaining. For example, our Director of Operations has perfected a mental calculation by which he is able to estimate the size of large groups of people by focusing on a small, select group.  His accuracy is within +- 3% of the actual number.  He can perform this as a demonstration of the power of situation awareness.

Let’s now look more closely at the value of reducing predictability.  Ninety-nine point nine percent of criminals do not want to be caught -period!  Many take painstaking steps to survey their intended target in an effort to expose vulnerabilities that given their limited capability are susceptible to exploitation.  What this really means is that the criminal needs to determine when and where they will strike, avoid becoming predicable and you stay steps ahead of anyone that targets you.  By making matters difficult, the criminal will move on to survey another potential victim.

We can outline more day-to-day practices for any reader interested. Contact us here.

Back to school season is upon us. It’s time to reiterate the importance of Stranger Danger with your children. Whether your child is five or fifteen, don’t assume because you had “the talk” once, it should suffice.

Teens are just as vulnerable as elementary aged children. Discussions should include two important criteria:

1). Age appropriate - Talk with your teen about not walking and talking on the cell phone at the same time or drinking and driving. For younger children, discuss what or who a stranger could be. (Many children still think of a stranger as only an ugly, mean, nasty, scary monster looking person).

Develop a secret word or handshake for younger children. Many younger children would go with an adult if they were told “Your mom couldn’t pick you up and asked me to come get you.” In the event that you are unable to pick up your child and need to send a friend or co-worker in your place, alert your child that she may not go with that person unless the substitute knows the secret word or handshake. Role play this until you are confident your child fully grasps the importance of this check and balance system.

2). Discussion vs. Lecture “ Unless you wish to get blank stares or a response of “Ya ya I know already” it’s best to talk with your child, not to your child. Ask open ended questions. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no answer. A two way dialogue will be much more effective than a monologue.

Just as the switch to Day Light Savings time is a reminder for all to change the batteries in smoke alarms, Back to School time should be a reminder for all parents to have age appropriate, interactive safety discussions with their students.