Most kidnappings aren’t like what people imagine. [2] X Research source Less than 25% of kidnappings happen by strangers. (Most are done by family members or acquaintances. )[3] X Research source And 9 out of 10 kids who are kidnapped by strangers make it home safe. [4] X Research source Survival rates are high: 9,999 out of 10,000 kidnapped children are found alive. [5] X Research source American children are safer now than ever before. [6] X Research source

If you get a scary email about kidnapping, mark it as spam.

If preparations usually make you feel worse, then reading this section might make you feel worse. Consider skipping to the next section.

Know where the local police station, fire station, and public phones are. Tell people where you’re going. Text them when you get there safe. Charge your phone every night, so it has enough battery. Keep it with you. Try to stay in well-lit, public areas. Change your route from time to time.

Most likely, the app will remain unused, or it’ll only be used to find your phone if it’s missing, or find you if you get lost.

They ask kids for help, not adults. (A safe adult will ask another adult for help if they have a problem. ) They want to give you something, or take you somewhere. They want you to break a family safety rule, or do something that doesn’t feel safe. They don’t want you to get permission from a parent or adult. They try to guilt or manipulate you into saying “yes. " They make you feel nervous or uneasy.

Run to a friendly-looking person (like a parent with kids) and tell them what’s going on. Make a scene if needed. Scream things like “I don’t know you!” or “Don’t kidnap me!” Grab onto a big object, like a bike, tree, signpost, or even a different adult. Don’t let go. Flail your arms so that you’re hard to grab. Escape as soon as you can. Even if they have a gun, they’re probably reluctant to shoot you in public, and they’re also very likely to miss. (Guns are usually just used to scare people into obeying. )

Break free of their grip. If someone grabs your hand or arm, yank it away while twisting it, or “windmill” your arm by yanking it up and back abruptly. You can practice this with a friend. Get the weak spots. If you’re standing, go for the eyes or throat. If the attacker is a man, you can grab his private parts, and twist and pull hard. If you’re on the ground, kick the knees hard. If they force a kiss, bite their lips or tongue and shake your head rapidly to do maximum damage. [13] X Research source Make driving impossible. Get in the way of the steering wheel, or grab the keys. Honk the horn and scream. If stuck in the back, make huge kicks to make driving harder. If you’re going slowly, interfere with driving and try to crash the car. If you’re in the trunk, kick out the tail lights and wave a hand out, or destroy the wires so that the police may pull the car over due to broken lights. [14] X Research source Improvise weapons. Use objects, like an umbrella or book, as weapons. You can also use a key as a weapon, and stab the eyes.

They can help you think about the situation in different ways and help you maybe dial that fear down.

Blacklist tags like #kidnapping, #missing, and #amberalert on social media.

For example, if you get nervous being alone at the mall, try being apart from a loved one for a few minutes at the mall (such as for a restroom break), and then going right back to them. Reward yourself when you make progress, even if it’s small.

Phobias are specific, irrational fears. There is no name for a kidnapping phobia, but treatment is still possible. Paranoid personality disorder involves fears that someone wants to hurt you. Social anxiety disorder is serious anxiety related to being judged by other people. Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive worry about different things. Delusional disorders involve beliefs not grounded in reality, such as being convinced that a drink is drugged or a stranger is trying to kill you. Post-traumatic stress disorder develops after a traumatic event (such as a kidnapping or near-kidnapping) and can involve hypervigilance and a fear that the event will happen again.

Anti-anxiety medication is meant to correct chemical imbalances in the brain, to return your stress level closer to average.