What to say to a young child?

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TrapperReady

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What instructions would you give to a young grade-school student (think 1st - 3rd grade or so) in order to help them react to the following scenario?

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You (the child) are on or near school property and a car drives past slowly. A passenger in the car extends what appears to be a pistol and points it in your direction. The passenger shouts something to you, but you are unable to understand exactly what he said.
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wmenorr67 said:
Drop to the ground, roll away from the street.

Or run like hell away from the street then drop to the ground and roll to one side or the other.
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+1

If they are old enough to understand, I'd tell them to crawl or roll behind cover.
 
My initial thought is to tell the kid to run like hell in the opposite direction of the car and move away from the street while doing so. My seven year-old is very smart, but if we were to spend a bunch of time discussing cover and concealment, I could see him freezing for a couple seconds while he looked for cover.

Right now, I think I'd just want him hauling out of the area ASAP.
 
"Honey, if someone ever points a gun at you, you do not have to be polite and you don't have to do what they say. If they tell you to get in their car or go behind a bush or a building with them, run away fast. If you don't know what they want, run away fast. Don't listen to what they say and don't stay to argue with them. Just run away.

"Remember how we talked about leaving if someone is not following the Four Rules? If it's a friend you leave without making a fuss. But if it's someone you don't know who is pointing a gun, and they want you to do something, you just make as big a fuss as you can. Be as loud as you can and get away as fast as you can.

"You don't have to be polite to them and you don't have to do what they say. Just get away."

That's what I'd say.

pax
 
TrapperReady said:
My initial thought is to tell the kid to run like hell in the opposite direction of the car and move away from the street while doing so. My seven year-old is very smart, but if we were to spend a bunch of time discussing cover and concealment, I could see him freezing for a couple seconds while he looked for cover.

Right now, I think I'd just want him hauling out of the area ASAP.
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I'm not talking about military style cover so your 7 year-old can lay a field of fire on the enemy. I would tell them to hit the ground, then if there is a tree, trash can or anything else nearbye to crawl to it.

Children still have very strong instincts that tell them to freeze when there is danger. Many adults still have these to. Training can overcome this to a degree, if you talk about emergency preparadness with your child, you can cover these issues. Then continually reinforce the lessons with everyday discussion.

This will not only help your child deal with the above situation, but help develop them into a responsible adult.
 
Just a question on telling him to run away: Couldn't that get him easaily shot.
 
Just a question on telling him to run away: Couldn't that get him easaily shot.
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What's the alternative? Go along with whatever the guy with the gun says and hope that you don't get hurt? I'd rather have my kid (who'd be a small target and can run like the wind) at least try to get away.
 
Just a question on telling him to run away: Couldn't that get him easaily shot
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You ever go hunting? Hitting a deer at a trot is a MUCH different proposition than hitting one at rest. Kids are smaller than deer, and gang-bangers aren't into accurate rifles.

Remember: don't run away from danger, run to safety.
But not running away could get him easily raped and killed.
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I think the statistic is something like 4% survival if you get in the car, and 90% if you run like hell. If somebody takes a shot at you in a populated, public area, it will rain police and EMS in a minute. If you get in the car, there's no telling where you'll end up.
 
If someone points a gun at your child and starts giving orders as to get in a car or come with me. The best way for you to ever have a chance at talking to your child again is to make SURE, that he or she knows to get away from that person as quickly as possible.
 
Mabey I mis-read the situation, I was assuming it was a drive-by style shooting not an abduction. I would tell my child to get down, then get to safety. If the car stops and the bg w/ gun gets out, then run like heck.

If it's just a shooting, movement will attract attention and even gang-bangers get lucky shots.
 
RUN. SCREAM. BE LOUD

TrapperReady said:
What instructions would you give to a young grade-school student (think 1st - 3rd grade or so) in order to help them react to the following scenario?

-------------
You (the child) are on or near school property and a car drives past slowly. A passenger in the car extends what appears to be a pistol and points it in your direction. The passenger shouts something to you, but you are unable to understand exactly what he said.
-------------
Click to expand...

...and draw as much attention to yourself as you can. BG's want easy targets, not ones that will cost them their freedom.

Springmom
 
Azrael256 said:
You ever go hunting? Hitting a deer at a trot is a MUCH different proposition than hitting one at rest. Kids are smaller than deer, and gang-bangers aren't into accurate rifles.
Click to expand...

Ditto that. Run the opposite direction the car is facing.
 
Drop to the ground, roll away from the street.

Or run like hell away from the street then drop to the ground and roll to one side or the other.
Click to expand...

"OK son, here's what you do..."
"As soon as you see the gun, drop and roll."
"Pop smoke if you've got it."
"Get up and do your three to five second rushes, just like we practiced last summer."
"When you're back at the last RP, call in a SALUTE report and get back to class."

:)
 
I told my kid to run away. At that grade level, you have to keep it simple. You can't say "if it's a drive by, drop and roll, and if it's an attempted abduction, run." I think he was in first grade when Columbine happened. I remember him looking at the television reports and saying "I'd just jump out the window." I don't know if that would have worked, but at least he had his brain in gear.
 
Scream, holler and run.

My son isn't old enough for any of this yet, but I do have two neices that are gradeschool age. I think the best advice to cover the situation is to make as much noise as possible and run away. If it's a gun out a window, a stranger offering a ride, candy, etc. or any other situation where the kid feels threatened or seriously uncomfortable. Kids don't analyze situations like adults, so general advice is good. Specifics come as they grow up.
 
Given the way we (me and SWMBO) are about our children, I think it would be "Get down on the ground and cover your ears." Never out of sight until inside the school building, and we pick them up inside.
 
Well if we're talking drive by shooting I'd say hit the floor. The current clown shooting technique (weapon parallel to the ground 1 handed) makes it so that every time a clown pulls the trigger the gun will be pulled up. So lowering your level is the best thing you can do. Now as for some other firearm scenario Pax left an excellent post
 
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