Is Your Child Safe in Your Neighborhood?

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

21 Jul 2006 08:59 PM

Are you taking the necessary measures to make sure that your children are safe in your neighborhood? Are you monitoring what happens when they go outside to play or to a neighbor's house? It is important to keep in mind that your neighborhood may not be as safe as you think. Unless you are in a gated neighborhood, strangers can enter at will. You also may not realize what is happening in the dynamic between the children in your neighborhood.

This is written not to scare anyone, but rather as the result of recent incidents that have come up with people I know. Older neighborhood boys sexually harassed one little girl for an extended period of time. Another incident occurred when a group of boys gained up on one boy and beat him up badly. These incidents happened in good neighborhoods: the kind of neighborhood where parents feel safe in letting their children roam and play with the different children in the neighborhood.

You need to make sure that you are monitoring what is happening to your child. While you can not go everywhere with your children, you should have a general idea of where they are. It is also a good idea to sit outside on the porch or in the front yard when your children are playing outside. This allows you to see the general flow of what is happening in your neighborhood.

If you are concerned over a series of incidents or the behavior of certain individuals, do not hesitate to talk to the parents. If the behavior does not change and if the behavior is destructive or harmful, you should then involve the authorities if necessary. The safety of your children should be taken seriously. It may be awkward to approach the parents, but it may end up saving a child's life.

Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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Bonnie Sayers (1298) 22 Jul 2006 02:25 PM

The LAPD has crime maps where you can monitor what happens in your area online. The Megan's law website also has search options to see who lives in your neighborhood. Would be useful to include links in this blog.

Bonnie Sayers

Miriam Caldwell (8030) 22 Jul 2006 07:16 PM

I will include a site in a future blog where you can check to see if there are sex offenders in the area. In both of the cases I mentioned above the boys involved had no criminal history, and would not have shown up. The crime rate in the neighborhoods were very low. It can happen anywhere. Parents need to be aware of what is happening in the neighborhoods around them.