Smart About Strangers

I remember trying to explain the nuances of a "stranger" when my children were young: on the first day of school ("Mommy, why are you leaving me with these strangers?"), in a taxi ("Mommy, why are we getting into this stranger's car?"), and while trick-or-treating ("Mom, we don't know this house, couldn't this candy be poisoned?") Becoming Smart About Strangers isn't all that easy. This two-part video invites children to trust their own feelings, be aware of potential dangers and emphasizes staying away/getting away from strangers. Young viewers are told to be alert around strangers, never take anything from them, never open the door or say you're alone to a stranger. Unfortunately, most of these warnings come from school age children who deliver their lines as if they're reading algebra out loud: sounding monotonous, and rather ho-hum. There are also a number of very stagey short scenarios in which a stranger approaches a child and the child reacts by yelling no and running away. The second half of the video demonstrates some basic self-defense, pointing out that drills like ‘tag' teach children in a non-threatening way how to get away from strangers as do a few slippery body maneuvers. Importantly, the adult instructor continues to emphasize that it's not how strong, but how smart you are that can make the difference, in addition to reminding parents all that it's still critical to teach kids to be responsible for their own safety when alone. Recommended for those without similar fare such as HBO Video's How to Raise a Street Smart Child. (N. Plympton)