Scary Things

Recently, there have been some scary things going on in Granville. I’m not talking about the Halloween festivities, or eerie costumes, or a plethora of “spider webbing” hanging all around. I mean the incidents where someone was approaching young children and possibly enticing them to enter his vehicle. This activity would be the nightmare of everyone on Elm Street, but also of any parent I know. Especially if the child actually listened to what that guy had to say and got in the car.

As Mental Health America of Licking County's Director of Prevention, I have spent many years helping teach children how they can prevent such a nightmare from happening. I am proud to say that when these events happened, Granville Elementary School counselor Dianne Ryan was very much on top of things. We generally provide the Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP) to them in the latter half of the school year. It’s great to say that we have presenters in that school this week and next. She wanted to share all this important information with their students immediately, with special emphasis on how to avoid “stranger danger” and keep their students safe.

Child safety is something we all should be aware of at this trick or treating time of year. As a parent, we may be sure that our children wear glow in the dark clothing or reflective strips on their costumes. We may tell our children that they can’t eat any candy until we have looked at every single piece of it and checked it all out. But, do we also tell them to be very careful of strangers who try to entice them into cars, vans, homes, or even bushes? Do we talk with our children about the possibility that those people who want to hurt them may hold up a big chocolate bar or empty dog leash and plead with them to come help? Do we encourage our children to yell loudly if someone makes them feel uncomfortable in any way and always tell an adult when that might happen? Do we assume that because our children are in middle school or high school, they can take care of themselves? As parents, when do we ever get permission to stop parenting?

A parent of a first grader at Granville sent me an email asking about CAPP and if the program, or curriculum, could be evaluated. I responded in great detail and have heard nothing more. I appreciate that parent taking time to ask about our program. That is an active parent. All parents are more than welcome to ask any of our program coordinators about their programs. I am so glad that there are people in our community who help care for and about our children. MHALC has several of them employed here. The Child Abuse Prevention Program is simply one way to help keep kids safe, whether it is from stranger danger, bullying, or known-assailant assault. But the very best resource we have to keeping our children safe is the first person they see, the first person who should talk to them about these issues before things happen – their parent.

For more information please send me an email by clicking here, or you can reach me by phone at 740-522-2277.

--Jan GreenRiver

Director of Prevention