Kathy S.: I live in a rural area of northern Georgia, and my husband travels a lot because of business. We live in a home with a split bedroom plan. When my husband is gone I am terrified that someone may enter our home and kidnap our daughter. I hate living in fear. I lock all the doors and windows, but am I taking every precaution? I want to know my child is safe and that I’ve done everything possible to protect her.

JW: Kathy, there is no foolproof way to keep intruders out of your home, but there are lots of things you can do to make intruders think twice before trying to come in to your home. The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has a lot of great tips for keeping your home secure at night, including these Continue reading How Can I Protect My Home From A Break-In? »

Dominique G: John, I’m in high school, but a lot of my friends are involved with drugs and gangs. How do I keep them safe without sounding bossy? I really care about them, but I don’t want them to hate me for caring. How do I tell them about the dangers?

JW: First of all, Dominique, I want to say that I’m proud of you for being strong and for making the right choices. I know it can be really tough for a teenager to stand up to all the pressures and dangers that you’re up against.  As a young child, your parents made most of the choices for you, like deciding who you spent time with. Now as a teen, these choices are up to you. At AMW, we’ve found that the folks at “Kids Health” offer some really good advice to young people in your situation. Continue reading How Can I Help My Friends Stay Away From Gangs? »

Yajaira F: I was sexually abused as a child. I still see the person who abused me, and I wonder if he has abused others. Even though the abuse happened a long time ago, is it to late to report it?

JW: No one should ever have to deal with the pain you’ve endured all these years, and no one should be allowed to get away with hurting a child – ever! Thankfully, there are a number of laws that help make things easier for law enforcement to come after creeps who prey on kids. One of the most important of these is the PROTECT Act, which President Bush signed into law in 2003. Not only did it establish national AMBER Alerts, but because of this law there is now no statute of limitation on sex crimes committed against children. So don’t be afraid to go to the police!

High gas prices have caused many of us to feel the sting every time we fill up, and as gas becomes more expensive, there are some folks out there who going to extremes to separate you from your fuel.

Where once upon a time gas stealing was simply an issue of people driving off without paying, now thieves are going to new and curious lengths to fill their own tanks, and you could find yourself a victim with an empty tank and an expensive auto body shop bill. Continue reading Don’t Let Thieves Drain Your Gas Tank »