No parent ever wants their child to experience something traumatic. All the tips we give them in an effort to make sure they survive an unfortunate encounter are always given with the hope that you never have to find out if your advice works. But sadly, the world isn’t perfect, and some children have to use all of their knowledge to try to get out of a scary situation.
A 6-year-old girl named Ah’lyric found herself in a scary situation where she had to think quickly on her feet. The little girl had been playing outside with her siblings, but when they went inside, Ah’lyric stayed sitting in the stairwell. Shortly after, a strange man attempted to pick her up and take her to the back of the stairs, but she was having none of it.
The little girl fought back just like her mother taught her to do if she were ever in a situation like this one.
Thankfully, she soaked in her mom’s lessons because fighting back worked. Ah’lyric bit her would-be kidnapper on his arm so hard that he dropped her before angrily slapping her and running away.
“I bit him. He picked me up and then he slapped me,” Ah’lyric told WPLG. “Then he threw me on the floor and started running.”
When the man ran away, the girl ran to tell her aunt what happened. Ah’lyric was also able to give the police a good description of the suspect and confirmed the man on the apartment’s surveillance video, which led to the man’s arrest. This is not a situation anyone wants to imagine their child being in, but it’s important for kids to have an idea of what to do if something like this happens to them.
In 2021, a child escaped potential abduction because she asked the person for a code word that only someone authorized by her parent would know. Some potential kidnappers will either pretend to be a family friend or make up an elaborate story about someone they love being hurt. This can create a sense of trust in children which can result in kids going with the stranger. Some parents have found a way to combat this with the use of code words that only their kids and trusted adults know.
Other kids have escaped potential kidnapping by pretending another adult is their parent or physically fighting back in other ways. One boy saved his younger sister from being abducted by using a slingshot to shoot projectiles at the suspect. His quick thinking saved his sister’s life and marked the kidnapper enough that the police were able to identify him.
Unfortunately, kids have to think quickly when these situations occur and parents have to prepare their children for the possibility of something like this happening. Ah’lyric had the tools to try to save herself, and police in Florida are commending her bravery. Thanks to that 6-year-old girl, one less bad guy will be on the street to harm another child.