RE: Talk to Strangers: educate children (repost)
In Finland, it is considered normal for kids to walk or take the bus to school unsupervised from first grade on. From what I've heard, allowing your kids to do that would be grounds for intervention by law enforcement or Child Protective Services in most parts of North America. Perhaps the UK and Australia, too. I don't know. I've read horror stories of 11-year-olds being reported for shooting hoops for an hour and a half in the front yard of their homes after school waiting for a parent who was delayed.
My Canadian relatives have told me they had about as much freedom to roam the neighbourhood as kids as were are allowing our children in this country now. I've been told German kids walk to school, too.
There is a great deal of variation in what the law says in different states in the US. While Kansas allows a six-year-old to be left unsupervised, one state in New England (don't remember which) that kids be supervised at all times up to the age of 13. 10-12 is common on many states. 13 would be utterly laughable, because only two years later the same kids will be allowed to drive cars and motorcycles unsupervised.
Statistically, being kidnapped by a stranger is vanishingly rare. There are 75 million minors in the USA out of whom 100-200 are kidnapped by strangers annually. The problem is much less common than alarmistic media would have us believe.
It is true that Finalnd and a number of other countries are much safer than many others but at the same time, it is changing. Yes, statistics are one thing but preparation of the child's awareness is something that will benefit the kid for a lifetime. It goes much further than the harm that may come to them in the short term.
Domestic violence in Finland is the second highest in the EU and something like 35% of women have been what they would consider, sexually abused in some way. Understanding of human nature would go a long way to mitigate potential dangers as it seems that the perpetrators aren't going to change themselves.
Oh, you're absolutely right to teach your kid to be wary of potential abusers.