If a youngster doesn't feel comfortable with an adult, give them skills to cope and communicate to guarantee their safety. Tools for kids include:
Teach the youngster to set limits and say “No” when they're uncomfortable. Encourage calm, respectful boundary-setting. Teach kids to ask for aid and speak out. This expertise is useful in many circumstances.
Find additional adults the kid trusts and feels secure with. They may be relatives, friends' parents, mentors, or school counselors. Tell the youngster it's alright to ask for assistance.
Encourage them to follow their “gut feeling”. If anything doesn't seem right, they may leave. Help the youngster make a strategy to leave a dangerous situation.
Parent-child role-playing allows the youngster to practice asserting themselves and communicating discomfort to the adult.
Encourage the youngster to record occurrences and unpleasant circumstances in a journal. This might help them open up and stay informed.