Overcome a Fear of Being Kidnapped

When you see a 'Missing' poster anywhere, do you feel uneasy? Are you paranoid about being abducted by a stranger? And when you enter your inbox in your email, do you see chain mails about people being missing? Fear of being kidnapped is normal, and here is how you and others can overcome it.

Steps

  1. Talk to others about your fear. When your worries are clogging up your mind, throw them out into the open. Chances are, people will give you great advice, and you can feel less worried. Scary dreams and ideas will disappear once you share them out loud with someone you completely trust. You may also find that there are other people who share the same worries as you - together, you all can get through your fear and support each other.
  2. Despite seeing "missing" stories from the media, understand that the chances of being abducted by a stranger are extremely rare. Do not convince yourself that you're being targeted at the very moment; otherwise, you're simply making it harder for yourself and allowing your fear to take over you. Know that you are safe in your home.
  3. Understand that chain mails about people being kidnapped are almost always untrue. Don't trust everything you read on the Internet! However, while the stories may be false, having scary emails forwarded to you can possibly shrink your confidence. To avoid having that happen, change your mail settings so that those messages are automatically deleted - you'll never have to see them in your inbox, and you won't have to worry about manually deleting them.
  4. Remember that you have the choice of not going somewhere alone that makes you feel uncomfortable. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can never go to that place again. Instead, overcome your fear by asking someone you trust to help accompany you to those areas where you don't want to be alone (ex: the mall). This will give you a sense of security, and you'll eventually feel confident enough to go out by yourself. Also, get to know clerks and employees in shops that you normally go to. That way, seeing their familiar face will be like a breath of fresh air when you go to those places alone.
    • Familiarize yourself with the locations of any public phones in the area. Also, get into the habit of bringing extra change with you whenever you go out alone. That way, you'll be able to call the police if trouble strikes, but remember that the chances of you being abducted are extremely low.
  5. Avoid going to places with people unless someone you trust knows exactly where you are, who you're with, and when you'll be home. This way, someone will be able to call for help if you're abducted and aren't home by the time you said you would be. Also, letting someone know about your plans will help police and investigators find you even faster than if you mysteriously "disappeared" without a single soul knowing where you went off to.
    • Bring a cell phone with you so that you can stay in touch with the person who knows where you're going.
      • If you're kidnapped, you could try to call the person's number or the police.
  6. Stick to areas where there are plenty of people around. This will eliminate the possibility of someone hurting you, and it'll make it harder for you to be kidnapped than if you went to quiet areas with almost no one around. Because there are people around, kidnappers don't necessarily want to take the chances of being caught in the middle of abducting you, and they also don't want your screams to alert the people around you. Kidnappers normally prefer to stick to safer, more vulnerable targets. Therefore, if you're not vulnerable and you're not safe for kidnappers to abduct without getting in trouble, you won't have to worry about being kidnapped!
  7. To boost your sense of security and confidence, always bring your cell phone with you and make sure it's fully charged. If you have limited minutes on your cell phone, be sure that you refill those minutes once in a while to ensure that you'll be able to text or call someone if you're in trouble. Also, grab an easily portable object that can possibly be used as a weapon to fend off kidnappers (ex: pepper spray or heavy book). However, make sure that the object you're planning to bring along is legal to avoid getting in trouble with the police.
    • Examples of an illegal weapon you don't want to have in your possession are guns and knives.
    • You could also bring a loud whistle along with you so that you can blow it for help when someone tries to attack or kidnap you. However, it's recommended that you scream instead, for some people might believe it's just a little kid playing around with a loud whistle.
  8. Always ask someone you trust for help if you're in an uncomfortable situation and/or you feel as if the "friendly" guy who let you go ahead of him in the grocery line is stalking you. Do not convince yourself that the situation isn't what it appears to be and that you're just imagining it. Although you might be afraid of embarrassing yourself and being scared over nothing, ignore that feeling if it's obvious that you're being stalked and provide for your own safety first before tending to your self pride. It's always wise to handle the situation and eliminate the possibility of being kidnapped while you have the chance before the kidnapping actually takes place.

Tips

  • Take a self-defense class if you still feel uncomfortable.
  • Don't be afraid to talk to someone you trust, such as a parent, friend, or someone you know and fully trust.
  • Imagine your fear is a huge rock. When you feel better and boost in your confidence, chip away at the rock of fear. Soon, your confidence will grow stronger.
  • DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT watch any "kidnapping/stalker/rape" videos on YouTube. (Most commonly called 'storytime vlogs') Chances are, these stories are not true, and will just make you more scared.

Warnings

  • Immediately let someone you trust if someone is following you. If no one you know is with you at the moment, tell an employee that appears trustworthy or the manager of a store. If no one is in sight, quickly walk to an area with people and let someone know.
    • While you may receive the urge to run away from the stalker, do 'not do that or the stalker will realize that you know what is going on. Simply act as if you aren't aware of the stalker, but walk quickly enough so that the stalker doesn't have time to catch up with you.
    • If the stalker pursues you and/or tries to grab you, scream as loudly as you can for help while running full speed towards an area you know is filled with people. Avoid getting trapped into dead ends (ex: bathroom).
      • Don't believe that the stalker will stop pursuing you if you run into the bathroom of the stalker's opposite gender. If there are no signs of other people around, the stalker won't care if he ends up in the ladies' restroom. Think logically and don't act stupid.
    • If there are no signs of life on the floor that you currently are on, run into the nearest elevator and hit the number for a floor - where all the people are - after quickly closing the elevator doors. However, if you don't think you can make it to the elevator in time and the stalker will be able to easily hold open the doors and get you, run towards the nearest exit.
      • Never use the stairs, even if you believe that you are quick enough to run up the steps. Stairs are normally where people get trapped by their abductors and also where they are most vulnerable. Not only can the abductor easily pin you down on the steps, but there also will most likely be no one to rush to your assistance, even if you scream as loud as you can.
      • If you are trapped on the stairs, run up as far as you can while screaming. Do not stop screaming or trying to get away from your abductor.

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