Preventing Abduction Safety Tips Discussed

The Early Show on CBS-TV in Los Angeles discussed some safety tips that could help in preventing abductions like Lily Burk's.

Above, Lily Burk.

Child safety expert Robin Sax, a former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and author of "Predators and Child Molesters," said on "The Early Show" Wednesday that parents and kids need to have a code word that can fit into conversations naturally, but be an indicator that something is wrong, signalling an emergency.

Sax recommended the word "ATM."

"(An) ATM is a place where no one should make a phone call anyway, as you need undivided attention. And if you say, 'I'm calling from the ATM,' that means there's danger."

Co-anchor Harry Smith remarked Burk was probably thinking that she had to stay cool throughout the abduction. Could she have done something to alert people on the street that she was in trouble?

Sax said one tip is to scream "FIRE!" because people respond to the word, rather than "HELP!"

She also recommended that, in an abduction situation, you do anything you can to buy yourself time. Sax recommended gouging the perpetrator with keys or hitting someone with your elbow.

"The goal isn't to win a fight or succeed," Sax told Smith. "The goal is to get a minute, buy a minute of time, so you can run and get some help."

To read the full article, go here.

Above, Kelsey Smith.

As written in an earlier post, the Kelsey Smith Foundation has tips on what to do if you find yourself in a situation where an abduction is imminent. They are:

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.

2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.

3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.

4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.

5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.

Remember the acronym TIPS:

Take Charge

Inform others of your whereabouts

Prepare for any situation

Survival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen).

I recall Greg Smith (Kelsey's dad) saying that one of the most important things in an abduction is to not leave the initial crime scene. Kelsey was taken by surprise as she was getting into her car at a Target department store in Overland Park, Kansas. She might have been able to survive had she been able to keep from being taken from the Target parking lot. The kidnapper gains more control by taking his victim to another location where he feels safe and free to do his deeds.