Family category archive

How Can I Protect My Child From Identity Theft?

 

Sheila B: I was just wondering how would I know if someone was using my kids social security number? How can I prevent this from happening?

JW: Sheila, it’s hard to believe, but more and more minors are becoming victims of Identity Theft. This is a good scam for fraud artists, because most people aren’t thinking about their kids’ credit until they approach 18. But in many cases kids whose identities are stolen are very young, which means these crimes could go undetected for many years. So, how can you protect your child’s personal information? We found some great tips from researchers at the University of Florida.

Continue reading How Can I Protect My Child From Identity Theft? »

Tending To A Cut The Right Way

There’s likely no one alive who hasn’t been the victim of a cut. Most of the time though, a minor cut or scrape can easily be fixed with a good scrubbing and an adhesive bandage. But for kids, this inconvenience can be a big and scary event. The most important part is to always keep your child calm. Assure him or her that you will make it better.

You’ll need to inspect the cut to know how to treat it. If the cut is deep, bleeding excessively or was caused by an unknown animal or type of metal, consult a doctor or medical professional immediately. If you are waiting for medical help to respond to a large wound, apply pressure to the wounded area over a covering. If bleeding doesn’t stop, apply more pressure. Smaller cuts are much more manageable. Our friends at First Aid Info provide these tips for how to treat a small cut from start to finish Continue reading Tending To A Cut The Right Way »

Celebrate Safe Communities All Year Long

 

October is Crime Prevention Month. To kick things off, the National Crime Prevention Council and the National Sheriff’s Association teamed up for the Celebrate Safe Communities initiative, designed to promote local crime prevention action. It’s the perfect opportunity to get your neighbors involved, and to learn what you can do to fight and prevent crime all year long. The goal is to try to remind all Americans that a safe community is no accident, and prevention is everyone’s business.

For the last several months, communities all over the country have been preparing for CSC events. Even if you haven’t registered in advance, you can still work to spearhead prevention activities and mobilize your community. Here are a few examples of what some communities have been doing to reclaim their streets Continue reading Celebrate Safe Communities All Year Long »

Making Noise! Bringing Attention To Your Missing Loved One

According to the FBI, there are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the United States everyday. Having a loved one go missing is a nightmare. After you report your case to the police, your options are not limited. Take action! There’s a lot you can do to find your missing person.

Make Noise! Last year, when Lisa Stebic, the mother of two disappeared from her Plainfield, Ill. home, her family and friends took action immediately and made her story a national obsession. Their creativity and tireless efforts continue to keep Lisa’s story alive in the press a year and a half later! They were so successful that people from across the globe have become involved. If someone you love disappears, make as much noise as possible to keep the focus on finding them. Here are a few critical tips which could help you in the campaign to bring your missing loved one home. Continue reading Making Noise! Bringing Attention To Your Missing Loved One »

John Walsh: Congress Must Act - Again - To Keep Our Kids Safe

 

Congress has always been instrumental in helping to keep America’s children safe. I’m proud to say that I’ve seen members of Congress work in a bipartisan way on child-protection legislation.

Right now the Senate is working on two bills that will significantly improve the tools that law enforcement has to fight child predators on the Internet. One is the PROTECT Our Children/Combating Child Exploitation Act (Senate Bill 1738), which will increase the funding to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that investigate these crimes. The other is the Securing Our Adolescents from online Exploitation Act (the S.A.F.E. Act). This law will increase the reporting of crimes against children to the CyberTipline, the congressionally-mandated reporting mechanism operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

These bills are necessary to the fight against child predators and I know they can be passed in a bipartisan way. The Senate is deciding whether to pass these bills now. I urge the Senate to do the right thing to help America’s children and pass Senate Bill 1738 and the S.A.F.E. Act.

-John



Submit your text or video safety question, and you could be featured on America's Most Wanted or on this site.

Subscribe to the AMW Safety Center
RSS updates now available