Stranger Safety
Assault & Kidnapping Prevention
Stranger Safety
Assault & Kidnapping Prevention
Kidpower teaches Stranger Safety – NOT ‘stranger danger’. We developed this approach in 1989, and every year, we are happy to see more safety programs worldwide choosing to follow our lead!
When adults learn the Kidpower approach to Stranger Safety, then making Stranger Safety habits part of their daily life with kids can become as easy as making manners, hygiene, and traffic safety habits part of daily life.
The Kidpower approach makes it easier, more fun, and less scary to help kids be safer, more confident, and less fearful about safety with strangers.
We teach ways to introduce, use, and practice Stranger Safety at all ages – starting from early childhood and, for older children and teens, including emergency-only physical self-defense skills as a last resort to escape and get to safety.
Use these resources to get started – and contact us with questions or to take or plan a workshop!
Articles
- Featured Article: “Stranger Danger” Hurts Kids
- Stranger Abduction & Kidnapping Prevention
- Featured Podcast: Stranger Safety – What Rhymes with Ranger? (6:48)
- When Kids Learn About a Tragic Kidnapping
- Safety with Strangers and People Children Know
- Resisting the “Illusion of Safety”
- Adults Need To Know: Personal Safety for Children
- Safety on the Way to School or Other Activities – Guidelines from Kidpower
- Just in Case: What Children Need to Know if They Cannot Get Away at First
- How to Pick a Good Self-Defense Program
See more articles: Bullying Prevention, Teen Safety, Workplace Communication Safety
Videos
7 Strategies for Keeping Your Kids Safe - video series
Dr. Harold Johnson, Emeritus Professor of Education, interviewing Kidpower founder and executive director, Irene van der Zande, to describe each of Kidpower’s 7 strategies for keeping children safe and how to apply these concepts to your daily life.
Stop! Leave! Help! Teaching kids how to stop a potential abduction
ABC7’s Better Bay Area News
ABC7’s Better Bay Area News Team shows viewers how to teach kids how to stop a possible abduction, featuring Kidpower’s executive director and founder, Irene van der Zande.
Books
Kidpower Children’s Safety Comics Color Edition
Now in color! This book answers the question, “How do I teach my kids to be safe with people without scaring them?” Have fun sharing the social stories together with your kids, and they’ll be learning powerful skills. Young children will ask you to read it again and again!
Learn More | Buy on Amazon
Your Amazon purchases help Kidpower!
One Strong Move
This cartoon-illustrated book provides important self-defense lessons showing how to avoid and escape from an attack for adults and teens and for use by adults in teaching children.
Learn More | Buy on Amazon
Your Amazon purchases help Kidpower!
The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults
This inspiring, comprehensive guide puts Kidpower’s nearly 30 years of experience at the fingertips of parents, educators, and all adults who care about protecting children and teens.
Learn More | Buy on Amazon
Your Amazon purchases help Kidpower!
Book 3: Check First & Think First
Book 3 of 6 in our Kidpower Teaching Book Series, designed to make it easy and fun for adults to use our curriculum with their classes, programs, and families, focuses on stranger safety and strategies for being safe in public.
Learn More | Buy on Amazon
Your Amazon purchases help Kidpower!
Doing Right by Our Kids
The #1 best-selling guide to Child Safety in the #MeToo era. Practical tools for adults to take charge of the safety and well being of the young people in their care, and to address the obstacles that often get in the way.
Learn More | Buy on Amazon
Your Amazon purchases help Kidpower!
“Doing Right by Our Kids is a field guide for practicing courage. It will arm you with the knowledge and skills you need to know when, why, and how to act to protect your kids.”
— Dan Heath, New York Times Bestselling Author
Workshops
Learn Kidpower from the experts! Options include:
- Online, self-paced courses with captioned videos and more in the Kidpower Online Learning Center
- Online, live ‘community’ workshops open for public enrollment – see Workshops
- Online, live ‘organized’ workshops arranged by and for your own group, gathered virtually or physically – presented by a virtual instructor (in-person instruction is paused)
Every workshop is unique! In the planning stage, we listen and ask questions about your needs and priorities. Then, we provide a service tailored just for you. Read more about our most popular workshops for stranger safety – and contact us to explore options for yours!
- For teams of health & human services providers and educators
- For parents and guardians
- For families
- For individual adults
- Costs
For teams of health & human services providers and educators
All kinds of schools and health, recreational, health care, and social service agencies and groups arrange Kidpower Professional Development Programs for:
- full staff
- volunteers
- team members within a staff who do similar work or who work with the same clients, customers, consumers, students, or patients
- paraprofessionals, aides, and support staff
Each is tailored to the needs of the group. Common priorities include bullying prevention; abuse prevention; safe and inclusive climate; skills for safe, strong relationships; and safety for people with special needs. US$1500-up. Contact us to discuss Kidpower Professional Development options for your agency, school, or facility!
For parents and guardians
Parentpower Programs are tailored based on your group’s priorities. Any adult can take the lead in organizing a program for any type of group such as an informal group of friends; a support and advocacy group; a school or district; a business; or a community based organization.
Your adults-only Parentpower Program can be:
- taught in English, Spanish, or French by an instructor skilled at working with interpreters
- open to all adults your online platform will allow – up to 95 if using Kidpower’s Zoom
- presented in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up
Contact us to explore Parentpower options for your group!
For families
Familypower Programs give young people side-by-side with their parents, caregivers, or other adult allies an opportunity to have fun learning safety together! Each Familypower Program is tailored to youth participants’ ages and life situations as well as your priorities. Familypower Programs serve 10-50 families/screens (max varies based on youth ages) and can be:
- taught in English, Spanish, or French by an instructor skilled at working with interpreters
- tailored for youth in the age range you choose, side-by-side with their parents/guardians/adult allies
- adapted to meet the needs of learners of diverse abilities
- presented in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up
Contact us to explore Familypower options for your group!
For individual adults
Whether you are seeking skills for your own personal safety and well-being or you are seeking skills to protect and empower others – such as your own children, students, clients, or consumers – you can:
- Learn and teach using the videos, skills guides, and other resources in the Online Learning Center courses. Consider starting with the Kidpower Child Protection Training course, the Adapting to Learning Differences course, or the Safety Powers Course, which is free to adults everywhere thanks to generous funding from Ability Central.
- Register for one of our upcoming Community Workshops open for public registration. Individual adults can sign up for Fullpower and Parentpower programs, and you are likely to find options addressing topics of interest to you as you parent, teach, or guide others.
- Organize a Fullpower Adult Safety workshop for yourself and friends, family members, or others in your life who are interested in learning these skills with you. Sessions can be offered in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up.
- Organize a Kidpower Professional Development Workshop for yourself and others doing similar work. Your workshop could be for co-workers at a single agency – or for people doing similar work but for different agencies in different locations. Each is tailored to the needs of the group. Sessions can be offered in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$1500-up.
Contact us with any questions about our workshops, resources, or programs for yourself or for a group!
Costs
Self-paced courses in the Kidpower Online Learning Center are priced by course – and some are free! See current self-paced course offerings and costs.
Depending on your group and your priorities, live workshops online or in-person (if available in your area) can be:
- 1-6 hours in length, total
- One-time, single-session
- Multi-part, 2-12 sessions
Minimum costs for workshops and programs taught live:
- US$700-up for parent/caregiver and family workshops
- US$700-up for workshops serving a teacher with their class
- US$1500-up for professional development programs
Please do not let lack of money stop you from reaching out! Since 1989, we have remained committed to doing all in our power to ensure that money is not the sole factor preventing people from getting access to Kidpower. Costs listed are the costs incurred by Kidpower, and we have an outstanding track record of working with groups to address costs, including by using grant funding secured by Kidpower.
Contact us now to talk about your situation! We will tell you the exact cost of the services you are considering.
For teams of health & human services providers and educators
All kinds of schools and health, recreational, health care, and social service agencies and groups arrange Kidpower Professional Development Programs for:
- full staff
- volunteers
- team members within a staff who do similar work or who work with the same clients, customers, consumers, students, or patients
- paraprofessionals, aides, and support staff
Each is tailored to the needs of the group. Common priorities include bullying prevention; abuse prevention; safe and inclusive climate; skills for safe, strong relationships; and safety for people with special needs. US$1500-up. Contact us to discuss Kidpower Professional Development options for your agency, school, or facility!
For parents and guardians
Parentpower Programs are tailored based on your group’s priorities. Any adult can take the lead in organizing a program for any type of group such as an informal group of friends; a support and advocacy group; a school or district; a business; or a community based organization.
Your adults-only Parentpower Program can be:
- taught in English, Spanish, or French by an instructor skilled at working with interpreters
- open to all adults your online platform will allow – up to 95 if using Kidpower’s Zoom
- presented in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up
Contact us to explore Parentpower options for your group!
For families
Familypower Programs give young people side-by-side with their parents, caregivers, or other adult allies an opportunity to have fun learning safety together! Each Familypower Program is tailored to youth participants’ ages and life situations as well as your priorities. Familypower Programs serve 10-50 families/screens (max varies based on youth ages) and can be:
- taught in English, Spanish, or French by an instructor skilled at working with interpreters
- tailored for youth in the age range you choose, side-by-side with their parents/guardians/adult allies
- adapted to meet the needs of learners of diverse abilities
- presented in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up
Contact us to explore Familypower options for your group!
For individual adults
Whether you are seeking skills for your own personal safety and well-being or you are seeking skills to protect and empower others – such as your own children, students, clients, or consumers – you can:
- Learn and teach using the videos, skills guides, and other resources in the Online Learning Center courses. Consider starting with the Kidpower Child Protection Training course, the Adapting to Learning Differences course, or the Safety Powers Course, which is free to adults everywhere thanks to generous funding from Ability Central.
- Register for one of our upcoming Community Workshops open for public registration. Individual adults can sign up for Fullpower and Parentpower programs, and you are likely to find options addressing topics of interest to you as you parent, teach, or guide others.
- Organize a Fullpower Adult Safety workshop for yourself and friends, family members, or others in your life who are interested in learning these skills with you. Sessions can be offered in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$700-up.
- Organize a Kidpower Professional Development Workshop for yourself and others doing similar work. Your workshop could be for co-workers at a single agency – or for people doing similar work but for different agencies in different locations. Each is tailored to the needs of the group. Sessions can be offered in 1 or 2 parts of 1-2 hours each, US$1500-up.
Contact us with any questions about our workshops, resources, or programs for yourself or for a group!
Costs
Self-paced courses in the Kidpower Online Learning Center are priced by course – and some are free! See current self-paced course offerings and costs.
Depending on your group and your priorities, live workshops online or in-person (if available in your area) can be:
- 1-6 hours in length, total
- One-time, single-session
- Multi-part, 2-12 sessions
Minimum costs for workshops and programs taught live:
- US$700-up for parent/caregiver and family workshops
- US$700-up for workshops serving a teacher with their class
- US$1500-up for professional development programs
Please do not let lack of money stop you from reaching out! Since 1989, we have remained committed to doing all in our power to ensure that money is not the sole factor preventing people from getting access to Kidpower. Costs listed are the costs incurred by Kidpower, and we have an outstanding track record of working with groups to address costs, including by using grant funding secured by Kidpower.
Contact us now to talk about your situation! We will tell you the exact cost of the services you are considering.
We’re here to answer your questions, suggest resources, and give you more information about how to take or plan a class. Contact us today!