Important Lessons for Parents from Attempted Abduction in Florida

This recent story of the attempted abduction of a 13 year old girl in Hernando, FL has been making the rounds through the media for the past week but is worth revisiting for the benefit of people who haven't yet seen it. As upsetting as it might be to watch, we can learn from it to help ensure we are prepared to keep our children safe in the event something similar happens to you. A couple of brief observations:

• Be aware of where you are and who is around you: This incident highlights how important situational awareness is in keeping you and your family safe. Notice the odd behavior of the suspect right before he moves into abduct the child? Had the mother been focused on a phone or otherwise distracted, the suspect might have had just enough time to get the girl out of the reach of the mother. The mother's awareness was one of the keys in keeping her daughter safe. 

• Know where your children are at all times: It's important to keep children close to you. It's tough to keep a child and all their bottled up energy from running up and down the aisle. In this instance, keeping the child close made all the difference in allowing the mother to respond quickly. Had the child been running up and down the aisle, the mother may not have been quick enough to reach her daughter.   
  
• Always prepare for the worst: This mother's never give up attitude kept her child safe. Even then, it was way too close to being a tragedy. Being in a tug of war situation with an abductor or any other criminal leaves too much up to chance. What if you slip or are unable to hold on? Having a self defense product such as a Stun Gun or Taser can help keep the odds of survival in your favor by giving you a couple million volts of immobilizing power. We've talked to many parents who would like to carry a something to keep their family safe but worry about their child reaching into their purse or bag looking for a toy or snack and getting accidentally stunned. Many parents are surprised to learn that many of the Tasers for Women and Stun Guns for Women products we carry, including the Streetwise Hottie 11,000,000 Volt Rechargeable Stun Gun and Streetwise Ladies Choice 21,000,000 Volt Stun Gun, are designed for mothers to keep in their purse. These units including as many as three layers of security before the unit will discharge. This gives you another weapon to use to keep you and your family safe without the worry of your child being accidentally stunned.