Since most parents teach their children not to talk to strangers, child predators need methods to cause children to lower their guards. This is usually done by the use of lures. We will discuss some of these lures and ways to combat them.

One of the most common lures is the “‘I need help“ lure. These are very effective on children because they have a natural willingness to help those in need. There are several variations of this particular lure.

Lost Pet

This lure involves the predator asking a child to help them find their lost pet. Sometimes a monetary award may also be offered. If the child agrees, they might wander off by themselves where they are easy prey for the predator. The predator might also convince them to ride around in his car looking around the neighborhood while he drives around. Once he has them in the car, they are in serious trouble.

Mail Lure

In this lure, the predator parks near a mailbox and waits for a child to come along. When they do, he asks them to put some items in the mailbox for him. Once they get close enough to the car to take the items, they are easily grabbed and driven away.

Directions Lure

This lure is similar to the mail lure. The child is asked for directions to an address, street or business. If they don‘t get close enough to be grabbed, the predator acts as though he can’t hear them until they are close enough. By teaching our children to never get within 10 feet of an adult stranger in a car, the effectiveness of these lures can be minimized.

Handicap Lure

This is a very effective lure, even on adults. It was a favorite technique used by the serial killer Ted Bundy. This lure is effective because we all have a natural sympathy for someone who is handicapped or injured in some way. In this lure, the predator acts as though he has a broken arm or leg. He might have an arm in a sling or a fake cast on his leg. By making himself look harmless and incapable of doing violence, he gets his prey to drop their guard. Usually, they will appear they are having trouble getting a large item or several items into their vehicle. When the child gets close enough to help, they are pushed into the car. Once they are in the car, the predator has the advantage.

In all of these lures, children are victimized because they want to help. I hope we are raising children who want to be good Samaritans and to be helpful when possible. However, telling them to not help an adult unless you’ve given them permission is a necessary precaution. They need to know that saying “No”, “I can’t help you!” or “I’m not allowed to talk to strangers!” is OK. If an adult needs help, the child can go notify another adult, but it’s simply too dangerous for them to attempt to help directly. There is a very fine line between having compassion for others and being easy prey for child predators. As parents, we should err on the side of caution and protect our children first.

As I mentioned last month, it is not enough to just prepare our children so they never become victims of child predators. We also need to be vigilant in our neighborhoods and in any environment where children are present. These are the environments where child predators must work. If you see anything suspicious, it is better to notify the local authorities and be safe rather than do nothing and cause innocent children to be victimized.

Donnie Chaffin,
3rd Dan