At School and Play:

• Encourage your children to walk and play with friends, not alone.  Tell them to avoid places that could be dangerous -- vacant buildings, alleys, playgrounds or parks with broken equipment and litter.
• Teach children to settle arguments with words, not fists, and to walk away when others are arguing.  Remind them that taunting and teasing can hurt friends and make enemies.
• Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to and from school, stores, and friends' houses.  Walk the routes together and point out places they could go for help.
• Encourage kids to be alert in the neighborhood, and tell an adult -- you, a teacher, a neighbor, a police officer about anything they see that doesn't seem quite right.
• Check out the school's policies on absent children -- are parents called when a child is absent?
• Check out daycare and after-school programs -- look at certifications, staff qualifications, rules on parent permission for field trips, reputation in the community, parent participation, and policies on parent visits.
• Check babysitter references.

*    Crime prevention tips from the National Crime Prevention Council and the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office.