Stranger danger
Stranger danger is a concept that emerged in the 1960s as a warning to children about the potential risks posed by strangers. It gained traction during a time of heightened awareness around child abductions, with high-profile cases like that of six-year-old Ethan Patz drawing public attention and concern. The phrase became a memorable slogan for parents to teach their children to avoid talking to or interacting with anyone unfamiliar, emphasizing that strangers might pose a threat. While the basic premise of stranger danger is straightforward—encouraging children to be cautious—it has faced criticism over the years. Critics argue that the term can be overly simplistic, as children may struggle to accurately identify who is a stranger or not. Furthermore, the rise of the internet has introduced new types of dangers, as online strangers can be more difficult to identify due to their anonymity. Recommendations for safety often include educating children on recognizing potentially harmful individuals, whether in person or online. Some advocates suggest using the term "tricky people" instead, to encourage awareness about deceptive adults who may try to engage children in harmful ways.
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Stranger danger
Stranger danger is a slogan that gained popularity in the 1960s to warn children about the dangers that strangers can present. The phrase became well known because it rhymed, and it was an easy way for children to learn not to talk to strangers. Parents used stranger danger as an easy to remember group of words that encouraged children to stay away from all strangers and not talk to people they did not know.
Overview
The term stranger danger originated in the 1960s. During this time, there were cases in America and the United Kingdom of horrific crimes being committed to children. They were often featured as news leads, and people were familiar with children who had terrible things happen to them at the hands of strangers.
Ethan Patz was one of these children who became well known for being abducted. The six-year-old disappeared on May 25, 1979, and he was the first child whose photograph was placed on a milk carton in hopes of finding out what happened to him. President Ronald Reagan declared May 25 to be National Missing Children's Day in Patz's honor. Patz's abduction was integral to the "missing child" movement of the 1980s that eventually led to political debate, new laws, and rampant fear of stranger danger.
The concept of stranger danger urges children to stay away from people they do not know. Stranger danger tells them to be wary of strangers who want to talk to them, walk with them, get any type of help from them, offer them food or drinks, ask for directions, or need help finding a lost pet. The idea of stranger danger warns children that adults who are strangers will not need help from them in any way and, therefore, children should not interact with strangers at all. The basic concept of stranger danger is logical. However, critics of the movement say that it just is not an effective slogan because of a few reasons. The first one is that many children have a different idea of what a stranger is. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, it is often very difficult for children to tell if a person is harmless or not by looking at them. Another critique of the concept is if children get lost or separated from their parents in public, they may not ask anyone for help, because they may think that every stranger is dangerous.
Because the stranger danger slogan is decades old, it does not really consider strangers that children can meet online. When children gain access to the internet, they are exposed to potential danger. Online strangers can be even more of a threat to children because of their anonymity. As children get older, they are more likely to participate in chatting with people they do not know. Strangers can easily pose as peers or as a person who is the same age. Most recommendations for keeping children and teenagers safe online include giving children the knowledge and tools to be able to spot someone who is trying to take advantage of them. Some people are proponents of the phrase tricky people instead of stranger danger to encourage children to beware of and avoid people who are asking them for help or telling them to keep a secret.
Bibliography
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Peters, Terri. "Forget 'Stranger Danger': 'Tricky People' Concept Helps Kids Spot Sketchy Adults." Today, 28 Apr. 2017, www.today.com/parents/forget-stranger-danger-tricky-people-concept-helps-kids-spot-sketchy-t95021. Accessed 22 Oct. 2017.
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