I feel the topic drifting,... but, I go with the flow...

I have a pet peeve with parental paranoia... (say that 5 times fast... )...
Parents pounding a fear of strangers into their child's heads...

... a news story last year had a little boy lost, and within earshot of rescuers for days, but afraid to call out, because he was told not to talk to strangers...
99.99% of the time, asking an adult for help, will get help...
A child has a better chance of being struck by lightning than being hurt by asking an adult for help...

The few instances when children are abducted and hurt are tragic, but severely over-hyped in the media...
Children should know, if they are lost or in trouble, to ask a grown-up for help...

Okay,.. rant over,.. I feel better now... ...