November 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 15

most likely to least likely when it
comes to committing abuse whether
physical, sexual or emotional is as follows: (A) parents (B) step-parents (C)
direct relatives (D) extended family
(E) coaches/teachers (F) religious
leaders (G) strangers. (7) The order for
those most likely to least likely for a
child to be murdered is very similar to
the order for the abduction of children. (8) The majority of " missing "
kids are found safe with no harm done
to them within the first 24 hours. Kids
go " missing " all the time but that
doesn't make the news because it isn't
sensational enough and won't get the
viewership numbers the media are trying to achieve. (9) Kids are way smarter than most adults think they are and
tend to be very good judges of character. (10) Children tend not to get ab-

ducted or abused in public places like
parks, recreation centers and schools
because of the " safety in numbers "
principles. Kids get abducted or
abused when they end up going in secluded or private places. (11) Basic
stranger awareness lessons have proven to be MORE effective than ignoring these sensitive topics. (12) Each
child is unique and the appropriate
level of risk must be examined on a
case-by-case basis. Most kids won't
ask to do something if they are not
comfortable with doing it.
Comment on Associate Editor Samantha
Bartram's blog post, " Your Park is Your
Family, " www.nrpa.org/Blog/Your-Parkis-Your-Family, by Mark West, director of
operations at ScoutingManiac, an outdoor
recreation and adventure activities consulting firm located in Anchorage, Alaska

The most logical thing I ever
heard on the subject came from
an REI marketing campaign: " Humans are mammals. Mammals belong outside. " And when it comes to
outside play, parents need to tag
along as observers and followers (and
paramedics if necessary)! Let your
kids get dirty, challenge themselves,
make their own discoveries. We are
raising a generation of physically unfit, socially inept, paranoid children
with no empathy or imagination.
UNPLUG AND GO OUTSIDE!
Comment on NRPA Senior Manager of
Fundraising Jessica Culverhouse's blog
post, " Let Them Play in the Park, " www.
nrpa.org/blog/let-them-play-in-the-park
by Marcia Clausing, park board member
for the City of Billings Parks, Recreation
and Public Lands in Billings, Montana

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Parks & Recreation

November 2014 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2014 - Parks & Recreation