I guess it was in the 70s that this first became a hot topic, but the more time goes by I think we have to wonder how relevant 'stranger danger' is. It's never made sense to me, our parents teach us don't talk to strangers, don't accept gifts from them, don't get in their cars, etc...why? Because they might kidnap and kill you I suppose...okay...we're told don't talk to strangers, BUT then when we go out in public and other people talk to us, it's rude if we don't respond to them, so now as kids we're forced to talk to strangers.

Also, think about this one, for all the warnings kids get about strangers, what happens when they start school? They are surrounded by STRANGERS, other kids, teachers, the principal, etc., but NOW they're supposed to talk to strangers and do what they say, etc. What sense does that make? As kids when we got these lectures there never really was a profile on what the right kind of stranger to talk to is.

Moving on, in the 70s it was said that most women were raped by men they did not know...how different things are now. NOW we know that the REAL danger lurks within people who DO know you, that when kids are abused, when something bad happens to them, it's somebody who's close to them that's responsible, not some random stranger.

Now, in the electronic age...if you think about it we spend a large part of our time communicating with people we really do NOT know...and it's also in this age that a new threat with children seems to be with online predators. We've probably all seen the Dateline NBC Perverted Justice stings, all these guys talk to decoys online, then come to the house to meet them for sex. Now, there are people who don't like what these groups and the police working with them do, and they go so far to say that most threats are the real life ones, not the internet ones.

Okay, this sounds fair enough, BUT, on To Catch a Predator they're not just catching innocent looking bystanders, they arrest guys who bring rope to tie up the 13 year olds they're coming to have sex with, several of them bring guns, ONE guy who showed up just as the crew was getting ready to leave for the night, was a COP, who traveled across state, with 5 different guns and several hundred rounds of ammunition in his car, and he was coming to meet a 13 year old girl for sex. And this was one that they didn't even wait until he got in the house, and as they pointed out, that may be good because he was expecting a little girl, what would he have done when he went inside and saw the Dateline host Chris Hansen there? A COP of all people, drove hundreds of miles, armed to the teeth to have sex with a minor. That may be a minority threat but it's still one we can do without.

But for people who do believe that online strangers are not a threat, and nothing to worry about, I have just this one question: if it's really nothing to worry about, why are kids taught to never give out any personal information online? That sounds like there'd be something to worry about if they did.

I don't think the "don't talk to strangers" warning should be taken too literally. Just about everyone is a stranger until you talk to them. As a child I was naturally shy, so I was encouraged to make small talk with my peers and adults who talked to me.

BUT--I was also normally with my older brother or another adult if I was too young to be out by myself. If I was playing in the neighborhood and someone came to me that didn't look familiar or was asking too many personal questions, I was taught to shut my mouth and run home to snitch so Dad can investigate--or find the nearest parent so phone calls could be made to keep an eye out.

As far as online strangers, it's up to the parent to make sure their child has enough common sense before they get on the computer. Unfortunately, bad people are out there. I'm sure the guy who used to constantly IM me when I was 14 claiming he looked like Nick Carter was really some fat, hairy stomached 50 year old creep--thankfully, I never found out because I knew not to take it past the net (even though I did meet one person from the net when I was 14 without alerting my parents, but we were the same age and had talked numerous times, and stayed friends for years after that). Parents need to be teaching these kids the difference between getting to know someone in person, over the phone, or strictly over the net.

Well, the thing is, I don't think parents teach the "stranger danger" warning for when the kids are with us. I think any well-intentioned adult making small talk with a kid who is out an about alone would feel put off if the kid snubbed them. They would feel like the kid knew not to talk to strangers.

Before about the age of seven, my son was very shy. And the worst part is when we were right there, and someone would compliment him, he looked so rude with his facial expressions. He truly did not want people complimenting him because of his shyness, but it came off as total arrogance.

So, we had to really struggle to teach him how to change that...along with the "stranger danger" stuff. It may have been somewhat of mixed messages, but he always was told the different expectations when we were present and comfortable with the adult talking to him.

"Stranger Danger" is more about teaching kids to spot or not fall for conspicuous or weird behavior perpetrated on them by manipulative adults. Most well-meaning adults who aren't up to something know how to talk to kids in a way that's casual enough to override "stranger danger."