Child safety is not No Nonsense Self-Defense's major focus. It is very much a specialized field. The true value of this page lies in the links. These are organizations that specialize in child safety issues. 

Having said that, however, there are a few points that you must consider if your child is being bullied or harassed at school. Hand in glove with these are issues you, as a parent, must consider before following anyone's advice about what to tell your children regarding their safety and how to handle bullies and violence.

Teenagers are encouraged to read both the links and the information on this Web site. Many of the problems they face will be a blend between adult violence and some of the issues discussed here.

Don't Lie To Your Children
We have an question for you. If someone tells a person something that is patently untrue, but has no intention to deceive, misguide or profit by it -- is that person still lying?

For example, is someone, who with honestly and sincerity passes on something a liar told him/her, also a liar?

You may not think so, but your child won't ... especially if what you told him or her, resulted in your child getting beat up or encouraged harassment.

We bring this issue up because often parenting puts you into a position that you must deal with problems that you have no idea about. Usually about subjects that you accepted answers, assumptions and ways of thinking on. And luckily these were never challenged or put to the test. This not an insult, but rather a statement both on the human conditioning and parenting.

And then your child comes to you looking at you for wisdom and advice, because he or she IS having this kind of problem. And the general response is to reply with socially acceptable (and in other circumstances, generally true) homilies and clich?. While in adult society these statements usually make for peaceful co-existence, in the worlds of children, teenagers (and criminals) these same rules are not only not effective, but they actually tend to encourage further bad behavior. Now your child has a bigger problem AND he or she doesn't consider you a reliable source to go to get help from.

Ted Truscott of "Defend Yourself 101" has a piece he calls "Lies to Bleed For: Myths Your Parents Taught You" that takes a sobering look at many of the clich? and bad information parents give to children for dealing with bullies. The last thing you want to do is undermine your credibility with your child about 'coming to you for help.' Later on the same page, he discusses issue teens need to think about as well.

"Zero Tolerance Policies" AREN'T for Your Child's Protection
Schools nationwide have adopted "zero tolerance" policies about fighting and bullying. Although the following statement will bring rabid denial from school administrators, simply stated: Zero tolerance policies are for the school's protection more than your child's.

The raw truth is if your child is in a bullying/self-defense situation at school, your child is in as much danger of being expelled as the bully. If you keep this idea in mind, you will have a much easier time dealing with the administration and keeping your child safe.

Child Abductions
Although the media tends to go on sprees of reporting "stranger" abduction cases, your child is far less likely to be abducted by a stranger than by estranged family members or family friends. In fact, an overwhelming number of 'missing children' are actually taken in custodial disputes.