A mother of five, Marcie Whalen has gone viral on TikTok for sharing her "stranger danger" strategies.
The "stranger danger" is often taught to young children by their parents to equip them to stay away from a person, situation, or place they do not feel safe with.
Parents often have different rules on what to teach their children. Boundaries and red flags can look different depending on the culture or geographical location.
Some places are more prone to crime, and some areas are safer than others regarding raising children.
However, this former teacher went viral for her modified take on the stranger danger strategies taught to her kids.
'Stranger Danger' Behavior
According to Whalen's explanation, instead of talking to her kids and instilling stranger danger, she changes the narrative to strange behavior instead.
@marcie.whalen #parent #parentingwisdom #toddlers #tipsforparents #howtoparent #parentadvice #parenting #parentingtips #gentleparenting ♬ original sound - Marcie Whalen
Whalen explained that she wants her girls to be hospitable, outgoing, and talk to others. All three desires are understandable since, as a mom, she wants her children to develop skills by being active kids.
However, sometimes the "stranger danger" ideal can clash with this. With that, she introduces strange behaviors.
The mother of five reasoned that sometimes it is not only people whom the children do not know that they need to avoid but also the people they know.
She added that in criminal cases involving children, most proprietors are individuals the kids know, such as a cousin, relative, or family friend.
According to Boys Town Pediatrics, children need to learn, detect, and know what to do when they feel unsafe because of a stranger.
However, there is also a difference between a good and a bad stranger. It will benefit the children's overall growth to know the difference.
Parents are strongly advised to talk to their children about the significance of the safety rules that should be followed when interacting with people the family does not know.
One of the strange behaviors that could help children is teaching them that when known and unknown adults ask them to keep a secret or ask them for help, it is usually a red flag.
Data on known strange behaviors
According to Fox News, the Nemours Foundation found that the majority of incidents of sexual abuse of children involve a trusted adult or family member who takes advantage of the child's intimate relationship with them.
In most cases, the child is not physically coerced into the action; instead, they are persuaded or coaxed into participating, provided presents, or urged to maintain secrets.
According to the findings of another study, in more than 90 percent of instances of child sexual abuse, the victim or their family knows the offender.
In addition, between 2016 and 2020, there were 366 cases involving children kidnapped by a person who was not a member of their family.
Yet, 65 percent of these kidnapped children knew their captors in some capacity before they were taken.
Stephanie Samar, a clinical psychologist located in New York who specializes in treating mood and anxiety problems in children, believes that Whalen's method is appropriate.
Samar stated that the precautions against "strange behavior" had been taught in several primary schools where she worked.
Samar commended Whalen's approach shown in the TikTok video, saying it was very helpful in teaching kids to identify the behaviors and learn what to do with them.
Aside from that, KidsHealth recommends that parents teach their children to have confidence in their instincts and to listen to them.
In addition, it is essential to instill confidence in children so they can rely on their judgment. Teach children that they must quickly leave the area if they feel uncomfortable by another person or if they have the impression that something is not quite right.
