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CNN Live Today
Interview With Kenneth Wooden of Child Lures Prevention
Aired July 16, 2003 - 11:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kenneth Wooden is founder and president of Child Lures Prevention. He joins us this morning to explain more about the predatory habits of child molesters. And he's also got some tips this morning on how to teach your children to be on guard.
Ken, good to have you with us this morning. I'm sure you no doubt were just as shocked and disturbed by the video that we have been seeing in recent days coming from this store case. You really believe that most stores are not monitoring the cameras?
KENNETH WOODEN, PRESIDENT, CHILD LURES PREVENTION: Well, I don't know for a fact. I don't see how they can given the sheer volume. Plus these guys are so clever how they manipulate their victims and everything. It's an outrageous case, pure and simple.
But I think your listeners need know one important point, that the predator goes after a child between the ages of 10 to 12. They prefer that age. That little girl was 11 years old. Sixty percent of all rape in this country are children. So you know these predators zero in on these kids and they use basic lures.
WOODEN: Ken, quickly before you go on -- we want to talk about the lures. First, I want you to explain what you mean by this age group. Because I would imagine most predators would go after younger children since they would seem to be the most vulnerable and perhaps the most gullible.
HARRIS: I know. That's an awful misconception. Most parents think they've got to protect their young child, 4 and 5. And once they're 10, 11 and 12, they're safe. Not true. Fifty-six percent of all children that are victimized, the prime age is between 10 and 12. And I -- I'm never surprised when I read an 11-year-old little girl is the victim. That's their preference.
HARRIS: I always am surprised when I read that's the age group my children are in and I think that they're responsible, they know how to protect themselves and take care of themselves. But that's alarming to me. And I guess most parents would be the same way.
Well, let's talk about some of the lures that somebody would use to attract a person, a kid in that age group. We got some graphics right now that list some of the lures that you discuss as the ones that are used by most predators. The authority lure. I believe that's one that was used in this Target incidence, correct?
WOODEN: Sure, it's a very common lure. They make believe they're a cop or do an authority figure and they simply tell the child what to do. It's very common. Ted Bundy used a fake police badge.
But prevention pure and simple. Make sure the person who is taking you away is truly a police officer. You can request a uniformed officer in a marked car.
And most important, Mom and Dad, sit down with your child, teach them to trust that siren in their belly, their basic instincts. If that siren goes off, they know there's something wrong. Don't go with that guy, pure and simple.
HARRIS: On that list, though, I believe is the one I have read this morning as perhaps being the No. 1 lure that these predators use, and that's the lost pet one. I think we read quite a bit about that one happening in the past.
WOODEN: It's sad because so many kids have been murdered looking for a lost pet. The predators know a child has a big heart, a child wants to help a lost pet.
Mom and Dad, look your child in the eye, forgive all the puppets and talking dogs and gimmicks. Look them in the eye and say, Look, there's no lost pet. If somebody is asking you to look for a lost pet that you are in danger. You come to Mom and Dad, you come to somebody in the store. Do not, please do not go and look for a lost pet.
HARRIS: Yes. And also, there's another one on there to talk about some other time though about emergencies. Make sure your kids know how to tell whether or not there is truly an emergency and whether or not someone is picking them up because there is an emergency.
WOODEN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: ... only a bit of time here. So I want to get through as many of these as we can.
Let's put up the next page that we have here. Here, assistance lure. That's when someone would walk up to a child and ask them to help for some other reason.
And the Internet lure. That's the one I think is probably another one that's news worthy now because of this case that we have been seeing that happened overseas with this 12-year-old girl. Again, in that age range you talked about. How do you protect kids from Internet lures?
WOODEN: Well, you know if predators are using the lures shouldn't we be teaching them? We should teach a child that if an adult wants directions, don't even go near the car. Take a couple steps away and be ready to run the opposite direction.
The Internet lure. These guys are diabolical. They will win the confidence of a child and they'll raise a telling question. They'll say to the child, after they gain their confidence, how does your Mom and Dad get along?
Look, they know. There's not a couple on planet earth that don't have their moments. Don't let these predators divide your family. Sit down with your child, discuss what moments are all about in a marriage and a relationship.
And if someone raises that question, I'm telling you, Mr. And Mrs. America. that is a predator who has already gotten inside your door and don't let them have the advantage. Sit down with your children eyeball to eyeball, teach them these basic lures.
Remember the lure is bait in a trap. And that trap becomes a cage, and these guys become animals. Let's teach our kids what the bait is, what these tricks are, what the lures are. And I promise you they're going to be safer. If they don't know them, God help us.
HARRIS: Yes, that's great advice.
Ken, before we go, can you give the parents right now someplace to go if they are looking for more information? Do you have a Web site or some other place they can to get information on how to do this and teach their kids these little ploys, these tricks to protect themselves?
WOODEN: Sure, sure. We have a Web side with a lot of information, www.ChildLures.org. Please come to our Web site. There is also my remarks at the White House conference on missing and exploited children, where I raised the question again if predators are using the lures, shouldn't we be teaching them?
HARRIS: All right. And it's ChildLures.org or.com? We want to clarify that.
WOODEN: Dot org.
HARRIS: Thank you, very much. Ken Wooden, thank you very much. We appreciate that advice this morning. And we sure hope that parents out there this morning listening are paying attention to that. Take care.
WOODEN: My pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 16, 2003 - 11:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kenneth Wooden is founder and president of Child Lures Prevention. He joins us this morning to explain more about the predatory habits of child molesters. And he's also got some tips this morning on how to teach your children to be on guard.
Ken, good to have you with us this morning. I'm sure you no doubt were just as shocked and disturbed by the video that we have been seeing in recent days coming from this store case. You really believe that most stores are not monitoring the cameras?
KENNETH WOODEN, PRESIDENT, CHILD LURES PREVENTION: Well, I don't know for a fact. I don't see how they can given the sheer volume. Plus these guys are so clever how they manipulate their victims and everything. It's an outrageous case, pure and simple.
But I think your listeners need know one important point, that the predator goes after a child between the ages of 10 to 12. They prefer that age. That little girl was 11 years old. Sixty percent of all rape in this country are children. So you know these predators zero in on these kids and they use basic lures.
WOODEN: Ken, quickly before you go on -- we want to talk about the lures. First, I want you to explain what you mean by this age group. Because I would imagine most predators would go after younger children since they would seem to be the most vulnerable and perhaps the most gullible.
HARRIS: I know. That's an awful misconception. Most parents think they've got to protect their young child, 4 and 5. And once they're 10, 11 and 12, they're safe. Not true. Fifty-six percent of all children that are victimized, the prime age is between 10 and 12. And I -- I'm never surprised when I read an 11-year-old little girl is the victim. That's their preference.
HARRIS: I always am surprised when I read that's the age group my children are in and I think that they're responsible, they know how to protect themselves and take care of themselves. But that's alarming to me. And I guess most parents would be the same way.
Well, let's talk about some of the lures that somebody would use to attract a person, a kid in that age group. We got some graphics right now that list some of the lures that you discuss as the ones that are used by most predators. The authority lure. I believe that's one that was used in this Target incidence, correct?
WOODEN: Sure, it's a very common lure. They make believe they're a cop or do an authority figure and they simply tell the child what to do. It's very common. Ted Bundy used a fake police badge.
But prevention pure and simple. Make sure the person who is taking you away is truly a police officer. You can request a uniformed officer in a marked car.
And most important, Mom and Dad, sit down with your child, teach them to trust that siren in their belly, their basic instincts. If that siren goes off, they know there's something wrong. Don't go with that guy, pure and simple.
HARRIS: On that list, though, I believe is the one I have read this morning as perhaps being the No. 1 lure that these predators use, and that's the lost pet one. I think we read quite a bit about that one happening in the past.
WOODEN: It's sad because so many kids have been murdered looking for a lost pet. The predators know a child has a big heart, a child wants to help a lost pet.
Mom and Dad, look your child in the eye, forgive all the puppets and talking dogs and gimmicks. Look them in the eye and say, Look, there's no lost pet. If somebody is asking you to look for a lost pet that you are in danger. You come to Mom and Dad, you come to somebody in the store. Do not, please do not go and look for a lost pet.
HARRIS: Yes. And also, there's another one on there to talk about some other time though about emergencies. Make sure your kids know how to tell whether or not there is truly an emergency and whether or not someone is picking them up because there is an emergency.
WOODEN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: ... only a bit of time here. So I want to get through as many of these as we can.
Let's put up the next page that we have here. Here, assistance lure. That's when someone would walk up to a child and ask them to help for some other reason.
And the Internet lure. That's the one I think is probably another one that's news worthy now because of this case that we have been seeing that happened overseas with this 12-year-old girl. Again, in that age range you talked about. How do you protect kids from Internet lures?
WOODEN: Well, you know if predators are using the lures shouldn't we be teaching them? We should teach a child that if an adult wants directions, don't even go near the car. Take a couple steps away and be ready to run the opposite direction.
The Internet lure. These guys are diabolical. They will win the confidence of a child and they'll raise a telling question. They'll say to the child, after they gain their confidence, how does your Mom and Dad get along?
Look, they know. There's not a couple on planet earth that don't have their moments. Don't let these predators divide your family. Sit down with your child, discuss what moments are all about in a marriage and a relationship.
And if someone raises that question, I'm telling you, Mr. And Mrs. America. that is a predator who has already gotten inside your door and don't let them have the advantage. Sit down with your children eyeball to eyeball, teach them these basic lures.
Remember the lure is bait in a trap. And that trap becomes a cage, and these guys become animals. Let's teach our kids what the bait is, what these tricks are, what the lures are. And I promise you they're going to be safer. If they don't know them, God help us.
HARRIS: Yes, that's great advice.
Ken, before we go, can you give the parents right now someplace to go if they are looking for more information? Do you have a Web site or some other place they can to get information on how to do this and teach their kids these little ploys, these tricks to protect themselves?
WOODEN: Sure, sure. We have a Web side with a lot of information, www.ChildLures.org. Please come to our Web site. There is also my remarks at the White House conference on missing and exploited children, where I raised the question again if predators are using the lures, shouldn't we be teaching them?
HARRIS: All right. And it's ChildLures.org or.com? We want to clarify that.
WOODEN: Dot org.
HARRIS: Thank you, very much. Ken Wooden, thank you very much. We appreciate that advice this morning. And we sure hope that parents out there this morning listening are paying attention to that. Take care.
WOODEN: My pleasure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
