Teaching self-protection to young children.

Three preschoolers without disabilities took part. The team used Behavioral Skills Training: model, practice, praise. They rehearsed saying "No," walking away, and telling an adult when a stranger offered candy or asked for help finding a puppy.

Sessions happened at school. Later, the adults tested the kids in real places like parks and stores. A multiple-baseline design showed when each child started training and when the skill appeared.

Every child learned the safety response in one week. They used the skill with new strangers and in new places without extra teaching. The gains stayed for the short follow-up window.

Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2016) copied the same BST steps with four children with autism. The kids also learned quickly, showing the package works across diagnoses.

Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2021) followed up and spotted a problem: some children later refused police officers. They added short lessons to teach "safe stranger" vs "unsafe stranger." This tweak keeps the 1981 package current.

Bergstrom et al. (2012) used BST for a different risk — asking store staff for help when lost. Together, the papers show BST is a flexible tool for many outdoor safety skills.

You can teach abduction prevention in under an hour with no fancy gear. Run the script: model the refusal, let the learner practice, give praise, then test in a real spot. If you work with children who might over-generalize, add a quick discrimination trial with uniformed helpers. One brief drill can guard a lifetime.