January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. It's a scary thought that such atrocities happen. As parents, you want to keep your kids safe. Since you can't watch over them every second of the day, there are some skills that you can teach your kids to help reduce the risk that they find themselves in this situation.
Many kids fall victim to traffickers in part because they're scared to say "no". So teach your kids to be assertive and say "no" to unreasonable things. Kids are raised to listen to adults, but they aren't good at discerning reasonable and unreasonable requests. These skills might serve to protect your kids.
When their young, let your kids have a voice. Let them disagree when appropriate. If they don't like something then encourage them to say "no". They need to say the word "no" not shake their head, look down and away. Your kids should say "no" like they mean it. Saying "no" confidently should be a way a life for your kids. It's easy for parents to want to handle situations for their kids. Don't. Let your kids speak up. You're there for support.
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