Reminding the kids to never talk to strangers is always on top of any parents' list. However, YouTube prankster Joey Saladino, a.k.a. JoeySalads, shows that mothers and fathers may have to widen their scope on this rule and emphasize what "stranger danger" actually means. Saladino conducted a social experiment to point out to parents how child abduction can be so easy, especially when the stranger has the right demeanor and props to lure little boys and girls.
In his video, which you can watch below, JoeySalads first talked to the parents and informed them of his experiment. He also asked them if they were certain that their children will run towards them when they see a stranger initiating a conversation. Almost instantly, the parents replied with a resounding yes.
However, with a cute dog in hand and using a pleasant and friendly voice to talk to his "victims," many of the kids never once thought to run back to their parents when Saladino approached them. They also willingly went with him when he told the children he could show them more puppies.
Naturally, the parents of the kids were surprised by how easy it was for Saladino to do this. One mother talked to her young boy after the experiment and said, "Just because you see somebody with a dog doesn't mean you can go home with them, because you don't know them."
Saladino ended his video by saying that at least 700 children are abducted in America every day. The point of his social experiment, as he pointed out on his Facebook page, is to save a life. He also said that he got the figures of child abduction cases from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Kids, according to Yahoo Parenting. However, Nancy McBride, who works in the agency, pointed out that the manner of the abduction orchestrated by Saladino in his social experiment is now what typically happens.
"Only about 100 children (a fraction of 1%) are kidnapped each year in the stereotypical stranger abductions you hear about in the news," according to the Polly Klaas foundation. Nonetheless, McBride confirmed that Saladino's experiment is one of the top five tricks used by abductors. "We know little kids will fall for the tricks, so when we're teaching our children, we need to stick to what's being used," she said to Yahoo Parenting.
Some parents, however, are wary of the "lessons" this social experiment is imparting to parents and their children. "Mr. Salads asks parents if they've taught their kids not to talk to strangers - a lesson I don't endorse, since most strangers are good and you want kids to feel confident asking strangers for help, if they need it," said Lenore Skenazy, who wrote the book "Free Range Parenting." Skenazy suggests in the same Yahoo report that parents should instead teach their children to "TALK to anyone," but not "GO OFF with anyone."
Watch JoeySalads' video experiment below:
