Parents were notified that a stranger was following some students home.
The principal of Chevy Chase Elementary School informed parents that there had been reports of some students being followed by a man.
This man is a stranger and usually appears after school, spotting kids to follow.
Man following students' home
As per DC News, there have been occurrences at elementary schools where adults have followed children, and some public schools have sent notes to the students' families.
A letter dated January 25 was distributed to the members of the school community by the principal of Chevy Chase Elementary School.
The letter stated that over the previous week, a guy wearing a ski mask and operating a silver pickup vehicle followed three children as they walked home from a bus stop on multiple consecutive days. The children in the first incident informed their families, and the authorities began investigating.
The second incident occurred on January 24, when a young girl said she was heading home when an older guy with gray hair and a blue and yellow jacket followed her intently for six blocks.
The principal sent letters to the families to alert them to the possible threats.
As reported by WUSA, Katie O'Rourke, a mother whose child participates in an after-school program at Chevy Chase Elementary School, and her family have found the incident reports to be highly unsettling.
She suggested that the children's parents coordinate their efforts, have conversations with one another, and form groups to send the children to school in carpools or groups that walked together.
The school can coordinate with the parents in some way.
Principal Smith eased the concerns of the parents by assuring them that the children involved were unharmed and that the Montgomery County Police Department is conducting an investigation using CCTV cameras.
Stranger danger advice to teach children
A keen eye can identify strange men, women, or vehicles following students home or looking strangely at kids after dismissal.
Parents are encouraged to teach their young children using stranger danger cues. According to Boys Town Pediatrics, teaching children about lousy stranger behaviors is essential since not all strangers are bad.
However, when stalking and following other kids while being dressed questionably, these young kids should take shelter in a safe area and alert adults nearby for safety.
Furthermore, it is also essential to teach children the basic don'ts when approaching strangers.
Young children should be advised not to take food from strangers, not to let a stranger inside the house, and not to go near a stranger's car or house.
Additionally, it is important to instruct children to trust their feelings. If they feel someone is acting so strangely that it might be potentially harmful, parents can advise kids to immediately go to an adult for supervision, where they will feel much safer.
