A Safeguard guide for parents and caregivers
A mother stops for petrol, leaves her children buckled in the back, and runs inside to pay and pick up some snacks. A minute or two at most. She comes back out to find a stranger already at the car door, hand on the handle, ready to drive off with her children still inside. Most of us have heard a version of it: the near-grab at the mall, or the stranger who sidles up to a child waiting outside the school gate for a lift home.
We know the country has a crime issue. However, we often overlook how quickly we become complacent in familiar settings where nothing has gone wrong before, such as letting the children play in the mall play area while we sit at the restaurant, casually watching them.
In Gauteng, police documented 2,452 kidnapping cases from January to March 2026, averaging roughly 27 per day. While children constitute a minor fraction, the perpetrators have realised that children can be monetised, which makes vigilance essential.
Here are six habits worth teaching every child.
- Agree on a family secret word. Many attempts start with someone claiming to know you. “Your mom asked me to fetch you; she’s running late.” Choose a secret word that only your family knows, and teach your children one firm rule: if the person doesn’t know the word, they go nowhere with them. No word, no exceptions.
- Keep them within reach in crowds. In any busy place, keep young children close enough to reach out and touch. Some children have been taken in the few seconds it takes to read a price tag or answer a phone. Closeness is the simplest protection you have.
- Leave names off clothing and bags. A name printed on a backpack or jacket hands a stranger an easy trick. They call the child by name, and the child relaxes, thinking this must be someone safe. Keep names on the inside of labels and bags, where only your child can find them.
- Practise making noise. Teach children to shout something clear and specific if a stranger tries to grab or lead them away: “Help, this is not my dad.” A general scream is easy to ignore in public. Words that name the problem make nearby adults stop and look. Run through it a few times so the response comes automatically, because children tend to freeze when they have never rehearsed it.
- Teach them that adults do not ask children for help. A common lure is a grown-up asking a child for assistance. “Can you help me find my puppy?” or “Can you show me where this street is?” Give your children a simple reply to fall back on: “I can’t help you; ask another grown-up.” A responsible adult will never need a child to solve a problem for them.
- No gifts from strangers. The oldest rule on the list remains valid. Sweets, toys, a puppy, or a chance to see something exciting are all forms of bait. Teach your children to refuse anything offered by anyone they do not know and to seek you or another trusted adult immediately.
None of this should alarm your children. When presented as everyday good sense, similar to how we teach them to look both ways before crossing the street, these habits foster confidence. A child who has practiced these steps feels more secure when faced with an issue. Begin the discussion this week. Families that prepare in advance tend to be the safest.
