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Halloween Safety is Not a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

10-21-2021

It’s the spookiest time of the year! As October 31 approaches, Halloween can be scary for a multitude of reasons, but don’t let worrying about your child’s safety be one of them. As your children head out this Halloween on a search for tasty treats and light-hearted tricks, follow these simple NCMEC tips to ensure a spook-tacular and safe Halloween holiday.
 

Watch out for Ghouls: CHECK FIRST!

Plan out your family’s trick-or-treat route in advance. Try to stay in familiar neighborhoods with well-lit streets and consider checking your local sex-offender registry to find the safest place for your kids to be. Try adding reflective tape to costumes or candy bags for extra visibility. 

What about those sweet treats? Don’t forget to give tasty treats a quick scan to make sure they’re all treats and no tricks! Look out for an unusual appearance or tears in wrappers and when in doubt, throw it out!
 

Don’t be the Only Pumpkin in the Patch: TAKE A FRIEND!

While trick-or-treating with younger children, do not let children enter a home (even that terrifyingly awesome haunted mansion) unless you are with them.

Don’t forget to carve out some time for older kids this Halloween! Encourage them to stay in familiar neighborhoods and have a cellphone charged in case of an emergency.
 

Creep it Real: TELL PEOPLE NO!

Help kids beat those scary tricks while trick-or-treating by instructing them to “Tell people ‘No!’” if someone tries to separate them or take them somewhere without your permission.

Have kids practice firmly saying ‘No!’ and identifying adults who could help them in emergency situations. 
 

When a Boo-tiful Night Turns Spooky: TELL A TRUSTED ADULT!

Has “Can I Bring a Friend!?” turned you into the only parent with a bunch of zombies, ghosts, and witches each Halloween? 

Consider enlisting another trusted adult to help keep an eye on the group and encourage your monster pack to tell an adult if someone or something makes them uncomfortable. 

By following these safety tips, you and your family are sure to have an unBOOlievable Halloween holiday! From all of us here at NCMEC, Happy Halloween!
 

Download these tips here, and get more parent tips about preventing abduction at missingkids.org/education.

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