Preventing non-family child abductions: Are children aware they are being followed?

Abstract

Australia, the United States, and other developed countries, offer elementary school programs that heighten childrens' awareness about the possibility of abduction. To examine the effectiveness of such programs, an investigation was conducted of the proportion of elementary school children previously taught about "stranger" abduction and who detected they were being followed. Fifteen children were observed on four separate occasions during a seven-month period. Only 3% of the observations were detected by children. Several reasons are proposed for the poor detection rate, and recommendations for elementary school programs are made.