If you are a kid, do you tend to be very trusting of all adults no matter what? If you are a parent, do you often worry about your kids' safety or what might happen to them, especially if they are not careful enough? Unfortunately, there are predators out there waiting to prey on kids.

This article covers child safety tips pertaining to predators. If you are a kid, you will learn how to avoid predators. If you are a parent, you will learn how to help protect your kids from predators.

Keep your distance from adult strangers. Do not approach them just to start a conversation, especially on the street. If a motorist asks you for directions, you can give him directions but you must stay several feet away from his car to keep him from grabbing you.

Do not accept rides from strangers under any circumstances. Even if you are wearing your backpack on your way to school and a stranger asks if you want a ride to school, you must still decline the offer because she might not have any intentions of taking you to school.

Be careful when you use the Internet and create a profile on web sites such as My Space. Never reveal your address, telephone number or school. If you talk to someone you think is a fellow kid online and he or she wants to meet you, arrange to meet the person in a safe public setting where plenty of other people will be. If the person is an adult, call the cops or ask an employee to do it for you.

Take precaution when you answer the telephone or door at home. If a caller asks to speak to your parents and they are not home, you should say, "They cannot come to the phone at this time." If a stranger knocks on your door and your parents are not home to answer it, keep the door closed and do not let the stranger in no matter what. If he says he has to call a cab, ask him if you can make the call for him.

Use the "buddy system". If you walk or ride a bike to school, do it with friends when you have the opportunity.

Kidnappers like to take their victims to a private place and kill them within three hours. If someone grabs you, do not let him take you to a second location. If you can, pull your arm away from her grasp and run. If you cannot pull yourself free, try to punch him in the groin, punch him in the throat or kick the lower part of his leg and then run. If he chases you, scream as loud as you can.

Do not wear clothes that reveal your name. If a stranger sees your name, he can fool you into thinking he knows you.

Test a stranger's claims. If he says he knows your mother or that your mother sent him to pick you up, please say, "What's my mother's full name?"

Be careful if a stranger follows you. Do not go home. Instead, you should go into a store and tell the clerk. Do not leave until the police arrive.

Keep these tips in mind to stay safe or protect your kids from predators!

Todd Hicks owns Skill Development Institute, an enterprise that provides a keyboard typing lesson and academic study guide. To become a great typist or student, visit Skill Development Institute. http://sdinst.blogspot.com