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This is part of the Domestic Tranquility Initiative.
This module teaches PIMA County young people how to be safe from
abductions. Click on bullets or lines for more info:
Implementation Overview
Following is a suggested plan to implement the abduction safety
program:
Download the "I Know How to Be Safe" module at www.paxis.org/abduction/download.html . The download
uses Adobe Acrobat for printing and viewing. The web site includes the link site for
Acrobat Reader if your site or computer does not have it. Acrobat Reader is free.
- Set up a Task Team for your school. (see page 4 of the module that you can download)
- Create an implementation plan for your school. Decide if each teacher or if a team will
present the lesson across your site.
- If possible, plan some kind of kick off or small event for NOVEMBER 23, 1998. This
coincides with the press conference being held with all law-enforcement in Tucson.
- Set up a time line for completion.
- Check the web site www.paxis.org
from time to time for up-dates and info.
- Review and do the lesson. (Remember anyone in Pima County can download the entire module
without charge.)
- Run off copies of parent letter, (see module page 9) and send home with the safety
flyer.
- Set up "I Know How to Be Safe" bulletin board.
- Do the suggested role plays over time.
- Conduct the challenge tests and then monitor, reward, and recognize children for
progress.
- Upon completion, plan a school-wide celebration and award certificates. Invite parents,
local dignitaries, school board members, and media.
- Let us know of your successes and problems by FAX 520-299-6822 or by email at info@paxis.org. There is even a form in
the module to help this.
Please commend our elected leaders such as the PIMA
County Attorney and the Pima County Superintendent for Public Schools for seeking to take
a preventive approach to crime in our communities and schools:
Barbara LaWall
The Pima County Attorney
Pima County Attorney's Office
32 N. Stone, #1400
Tucson, AZ 85701
Ph: 520-740-5600
FAX: 520- 791-3946
Anita Lohr
Pima County Superintendent of Schools
130 W. Congress, 4th Floor
Tucson, AZ 85701-1317
Ph: 520- 740-8451
FAX: 520-623-9308 FAX
Background on "I Know How to Be Safe."
Almost every school and every parent in Pima County has felt the fear of a young person
be abducted over the past several years. The headlines have made us all more aware and
concerned. What is the best thing to do to protect our young people?
As part of the Domestic Tranquility Initiative, Barbara LaWall, the Pima
County Attorney, and PAXIS Institute have created the "I Know How to Be Safe"
module for schools, agencies, faith organizations and organizations concerned with the
safety of children. Use of the module's flyer, story role-play, easy lesson plan,
intervention strategies, practices, and HomeLinks will teach young people the
self-protection skills necessary to avoid abductions.
Studies of child abductors have revealed that:
= Only 10% to 17% used physical force to secure their
victims (Groth & Bernbaum, 1978; Tobias & Gordon, 1977).
= Most abductors attempt to develop a relationship with
the child or verbally entice the child.
= Young children may be highly susceptible to the lures of
potential abductors. One study found that 90 % of children ages 3-6, who were approached
by a personable adult posing as an abductor, went with the abductor (Poche, Brouwer, &
Swearingen, 1981).
= "Stranger danger" training does not work
effectively to prevent children from leaving with abductorswhich most people have seen
in various TV news stories.
Youngsters and families can learn how to cope with attempted abductions, while still
maintaining children's trust that their world is a safe place, something necessary to
healthy psychological development. That is the purpose of these present materials. 110,000 flyers will be distributed county-wide to
schools, daycare programs etc., and a public information campaign is being launched to
teach every child in every family to "ask a trusted adult first," before
going anywhere with anyone. The lesson plans that go with the flyers may be downloaded
from this web site. Other updates will be added to the web site to enhance project
success.
If you wish to find out more about the research on the prevention of abduction, we
suggest the following references:
Groth, AN, & Bernbaum, MS (1978). Adult sexual orientation and attraction to
underage persons. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 7, 175-181.
Tobias, JL, & Gordon, T. (1977). Operation Lure. Report to the Oakland
County Taskforce, Detroit.
Poche, C., Brouwer,R., & Swearingen, M. (1981). Teaching self-protection to young
children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14, 169-176
Poche, C., Yoder, P. & Miltenberger, R. (1988). Teaching self-protection to
children using television techniques. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 253-261.
Where to
get copies of the flyers?
The Pima County Superintendent of Schools, Anita Lohr, is helping
with the distribution of the program throughout the county. Copies of the flyers for
schools (public or private) may be obtained from that office at 520-740-8451. As of
November 12, flyers went out through that office to PIMA County public schools.
Copies of the flyers for other settings such as neighborhood groups, apartment
complexes, preschools, faith organization and others may be obtained from the PIMA County
Attorney's Office at 520-740-5600.
Lesson Plan
Information
How does the lesson that you can download work? We provide some
important information to help in understanding how the approach might work.
There are two main ways to teach and practice the concept of Staying Safe using
the downloaded lesson plan: (1) Individual teachers or leaders can teach the concept; or,
(2) two or three people (teachers, counselor, volunteers, administrator nurse) may learn
the lesson and go from class-to-class with the stories and role-plays. This allows a more
thorough preparation and a more practiced and effective presentation. Here are the steps
for the lesson:
Background:
Consider consulting local law enforcement agencies for ideas about safe places in the
neighborhoods or related issues.
Preparation:
- Print or copy the large-format story, after downloading the whole file. (A color printer
will make more attractive story frames for class teaching.) Fold each page over, so that
the children see the picture while the adults read the words.
- Make sure you have enough copies of the flyers to send home. Download Spanish copies if
you need them from www.paxis.org.
- Copy or adapt the family letter as needed. Make sure to include letterhead and
signature.
- Practice giving the lesson, after reading through it. Make sure you are comfortable with
the actual practice activities.
- Schedule times for each classroom or setting, if team of leaders is being used.
- Allocate training roles if several site staff or volunteers doing lesson.
- Promote "Staying Safe" ideas in site newsletters or by posters made by young
people. It may be appropriate to send out a brief notice to families as well as the actual
letter included with this module.
Just Before Lesson:
Intermediate grades: Consider distributing flyer for students to follow along
with.
Primary grades or pre-K: Distribute flyers after lesson.
If site team is teaching lesson, then the regular teacher or leader needs to introduce
the visitors with the best manners possible.
Be sure to practice the nonverbal start and stop cues before the lesson. The
"start" signal is both hands pointing out and up, at about head level. The
"stop" signal is both palms out, pointed upwards.
Practice with simple actions such as "humming" then "snapping
fingers" then "running in place." This practice will allow better control
during the lesson, and creates "behavioral momentum." These cues can be used in
many ways in the future in the classroom.
Conduct Lesson
- Explain to the class that they will be hearing and reading a special
"talk-about-it" story that will teach them how to stay safe.
- Read the story (using big pictures), step by step, and ask the discussion questions.
Make sure that all of the children are drawn into the discussion, by asking questions to
which everyone responds.
- Have the students select three or four trusted adults to put on their personal list.
Older children can copy the names onto their flyer, younger children will need larger
paper. Leave some room for the parents to add some names.
- Rehearse, rehearse. Role-play the examples on the flyer during this lesson. The safety
skills are: say no, leave and find a trusted adult and ask permission
first.
- Explain to the class that for the next several weeks, various people who do not work
at the school will approach them at school, to test them on their three safety
behaviors. These are called "challenge tests."
- Tell the class that students who respond with the correct behaviors will get special
commendations and their picture will go on a special "I know How to Stay Safe"
board. Use the progress chart to monitor every child's steps through learning how to be
safe.
- Send the list home with a family letter and flyer.
Later, over next several weeks
- Post progress chart in room (see chart in the reproducibles section).
- Tell the class that they will be tested on these safety behaviors throughout the year
- Practice other suggested role-plays at other times during the year, appropriate to the
class. Situations can be in school, on the playground, in a public rest room, walking
home, in the supermarket, at the bus stop, at the mall, etc. (See examples.) Students also
create different characters and situations when they ask questions or share experiences.
- Set up various scenes with support staff and volunteers, where adults approach your
students, and invite them to go away with them, offer to give them something, ask for help
finding something, etc. See Instructions for Actors. Older students can also be trained to
test younger students at school and on the playground. Have volunteers report results back
to you. (Ask parents to continue rehearsals at home.)
- Present Commendations for Safe Thinking and Acting at a school-wide assemblies. Invite
media, police, community leaders, etc.
- Display photos of commendation winners in prominent places in class and in the school,
where families and others may commend the young people, too.
- Promote older siblings helping rehearse behaviors at home. This helps establish safe
behavior for them as well as fosters generalization from school to community.
Domestic Tranquility Initiative
The Preamble to the Constitute of the United States says:
the People of the United States, in Order to form
a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure Domestic Tranquility, provide for the
Common Defense, promote the General Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.
When a sense of peace and safety guides our outlook for everyday
interactions with other citizens, our country prospers. If we are worried about our safety
from our neighbors, from people who live nearby or even people who live across town from
us, we cannot enjoy a full measure of daily life. Our children need to be free to play
outdoors without fear. Our businesses and workplaces need to be free of fear from violence
from customers or co-workers. Our homes need to be places nurture helps children reach
their highest potential rather than sets children on a path for a lifetime of trouble. Our
neighborhoods have to be places where a sense community helps people work toward common
goals and purposes.
Lofty thoughts to be sure.
Achievable outcomes happen, if thought, effort and follow through are applied. We only
need look at history, case studies and many scientific studies to see that hope is
possible. Whole cities have gone from being driven by fear to a rebirth of hope. Boston,
for example, virtually ended major youth violence with a concentrated effort. Salinas,
California, showed that similar results could happen in a small city. Scientific studies
document that is possible to:
 | Reduce vandalism to very low levels. |
| Increase school attendance by 20% to 30%. |
| Decrease domestic violence in multiple family housing |
| Increase business activity because of feelings of improved public safety |
| Reduce serious disruptive behavior in our schools |
| Decrease substance abuse in youth and adults |
The Domestic Tranquility Initiative is a coherent plan, implemented over time. The
Initiative puts proven tools, ideas and best practices into the hands of every citizen,
organization, and business so that we might all enjoy the Blessings of Liberty.
PAXIS Team
for "I know how to be safe"
There are a number of talented people who have helped make this
intervention possible from PAXIS. They may be reached by mail, fax or phone:
PAXIS Institute
P.O. Box 31475
Tucson, AZ 85751
Ph: 1-520-299-6770
1-877-GO-PAXIS
FAX: 520-299-6822
Email: info@paxis.org
Web: www.paxis.org
The creative team can be reached by email, too. The team members for this project were:
Dr. Dennis Embry, a licensed psychologist, is noted for his work in health promotion,
injury control and applications of both neuro and behavioral science. He is the creator of
PeaceBuilders® and other internationally recognized interventions. Send email to dde@paxis.org
Janice Mitich is listed in the 5th edition, Vol. IV of Who’s Who
Among America’s Teachers The Best Teachers in America Selected by the Best
Students.. Please send email to: jmitich@maranaud.k12.az.us
Rev. Gerry Straatemeier, MSW, is an experienced educational writer
and expert in the treatment of criminal offenders. Please send email to her at: gs@paxis.org
The talented webmaster for PAXIS is Ben Reed, who may be reached at:
webmaster@paxis.org
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