11-Year-Old Outsmarts Kidnapper Using Her Family's Code Word

Aug 01, 2019

In this day and age, families have to expect the worst. While no one wants to imagine that someone may kidnap their child, the reality is that it happens.

With almost 800,000 children that go missing every year, according to CNN, parents need to do everything they can to keep their kids safe. The best way parents can make sure their children stay safe is to prepare them for the worst scenarios.

For one family, this preparation may have saved their child's life.

After this story was posted online, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office warned the rest of the world to take heed and follow the same strategies these parents used.

The story takes place on the 7th of November last year. That Wednesday, a deputy was dispatched to a home after it was reported there was a kidnapping attempt in the area. When the attempt occurred, a 10-year-old girl was approached as she walked with her friend to a park. A man in a white SUV drove up to them, telling the girls that her brothers had been involved in a terrible accident. The man went on to demand that the girl come with him.

The girl, having been prepared by her parents, asked the man to share the "code word" for such a scenario. However, the man wasn't prepared for this response and drove off.

Families have used code words in the past as a way to send secure messages during times of crisis or when parents send another adult to pick the children up. This little girl knew just what to ask when approached by a stranger claiming to have information about her brothers. The sheriff points out that more families need to spread the word about stranger danger and start teaching their children about code words.

After the incident, Maddison, the brave girl that knew the code word, went on Good Morning America to share her story. Maddison explained that during the moment she felt scared, but knew she had to make sure that she could trust the man. Parents should use this story to let their kids know about the dangers of talking to a stranger. By coming up with a code word, families can help their children stay safe, even when they aren't around. While Maddison was able to stay safe that day, someone else may not be so lucky. The police are still looking for the driver of the SUV.

In order for parents to protect their kids from wherever they are, they need to make sure they are properly prepared for any scenario.

Teaching them a code word is a great way to start the conversation of safety.

Do you have any other ideas like this one to keep your kids safe? Let us know what they are in the comments and spread the word to keep your friends and family's children safe, too!