We walk a fine line between making them paranoid and keeping them safe.
My daughter has travelled abroad as a teen, once even travelling to Germany on her own.
Our daughters go to the mall, work jobs that keep them late, and always there is danger lurking.
Sometimes a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In other words, DO NOT BLAME THE VICTIM.
"DO NOT BLAME THE VICTIM"
It's not a matter of blaming the victim in my view, it's a matter of taking this as a cautionary tale. Think of it as an opportunity to reaffirm in your kids time-tested rules of safety such as "don't go anywhere alone with strangers", and as another freeper put it "nothing good happens after midnight"
I agree - don't blame the victim.
However, those of you with teens - sit them down and talk about this story. Tell them that growing up too fast may be dangerous. There is a reason parents are (or at least should be) protective. Bad stuff happens out there. Be vigilante, be careful.
Your post #130 - thanks. Sometimes it seems everything and everyone but the perps/predators get blamed.
Good point.
These two extremes both are referenced in Proverbs 22:
(verse 3): A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
(verse 13): The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!"
or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"
In other words, being unaware of danger is bad, but so is being so paranoid about dangers to you that you use it as an excuse to do nothing.