UK advice has moved on from the old “stranger danger” message. Most strangers will help a child, and the NSPCC says most children who are sexually abused are abused by someone they know. So charities and police now teach rules that work with anyone: never go anywhere with anyone unless the grown-up who looks after you knows, yell, run and tell if something feels wrong, and know which “safer strangers” to ask for help. The same rules apply to people met online.
Updated 1 October 2026 · Sources: NSPCC, Childline, CEOP (National Crime Agency), Action Against Abduction (Clever Never Goes), NHS Norfolk and Waveney (Just One Norfolk).
If a child is missing, or someone is trying to take or hurt a child, call 999 straight away. Worried but it isn’t an emergency? Call 101 or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline free on 0800 1111.
The four rules to teach instead
The facts behind the change
Sources: NSPCC child sexual abuse page and helpline; Childline; Action Against Abduction, “Beyond stranger danger” (police data 2011/12, Newiss and Traynor). The vehicle figure is older research and the newest available breakdown.
Is “stranger danger” still taught in the UK?
Not in its old form. Child-safety charities and many police school sessions avoid “never talk to strangers” because young children find it hard to judge who counts as a stranger, trust friendly-looking people, and might refuse help from a police officer when lost. Teaching now focuses on behaviour: anyone asking a child to go somewhere without permission is the warning sign.
What is “Clever Never Goes”?
It is the charity Action Against Abduction’s replacement for stranger danger, used in primary schools. Children learn to spot when someone, anyone, asks them to go with them, and to say no unless it has been agreed with the grown-up who looks after them. The charity points out that most strangers will help rather than harm children.
Who are “safer strangers”?
People a lost or frightened child can go to: a police officer, someone working in a shop, library, bank, sports centre or doctors’ surgery, or another parent with children. Walk your child’s usual routes together and point out a few, such as a named shop on the way to school. Thinking about letting them go alone? Read can my child walk to school alone?
What should a child do if a stranger approaches them?
Teach these five steps and practise them. Research reviewed by Action Against Abduction found children learn “run” more easily than what to say, so rehearse the running and telling parts most.
1. Keep your distance
2. Say no and don’t go
3. Yell and run
4. Find a safer stranger
5. Tell a trusted grown-up
Should we have a family password?
Yes, it helps. NHS safeguarding advice for parents suggests a secret password that only adults you’ve chosen to collect your child would know. If someone says “your dad asked me to pick you up” but can’t give the password, your child doesn’t go and tells a teacher or safer stranger. Change the password once it has been used or shared.
Old rules vs new rules: a scorecard
Based on NSPCC, Action Against Abduction and NHS guidance. Green ▲ = keep teaching it, amber ▬ = adapt it, red ▼ = drop it.
How do you teach it without scaring them?
Keep it short, calm and practical, and come back to it often. Research shows role-play works better than lectures: ask “what would you do if someone you don’t know asked you to help find their dog?” and praise the right answer. NSPCC’s PANTS rule (Privates are private; Always remember your body belongs to you; No means no; Talk about secrets that upset you; Speak up, someone can help) opens wider body-safety talks.
What about strangers online?
Online, a stranger can pretend to be another child. Teach the same rules: never move to a private chat, send pictures or meet up with someone they only know online without telling you. CEOP, part of the National Crime Agency, takes reports from children and parents about online sexual abuse or worrying contact, and its CEOP Education site has guides for parents by age.
What should parents do if a child is approached?
First make sure your child is safe and praise them for telling you. Write down what happened while it is fresh: time, place, what was said, a description, and any vehicle and number plate. Call 999 if there is immediate danger or the person is still nearby; otherwise report it on 101 or online (see 999 or 101?). Tell the school too.
Frequently asked questions
Start with simple rules as soon as your child is out and about, and build on them as they get more independent. Clever Never Goes is designed for primary school children; add online rules before they get their own phone or start gaming with others.
Yes, when they feel unsafe. They don’t have to answer, and being polite never means going with someone. Tell them it’s fine to say “No”, walk away and find a trusted adult, even if it feels rude.
Teach them to go into the nearest busy place, such as a shop, tell staff and ask them to call you or the police. Our guide on what to do if you think you’re being followed has steps for older children and adults.
Only from age 16. For younger children, the location-sharing tools built into phones can help families; see how to share your live location on iPhone and Android.
Sources
- NSPCC: child sexual abuse (and helpline 0808 800 5000)
- NSPCC: Talk PANTS
- Childline (0800 1111)
- Action Against Abduction: Clever Never Goes, for parents
- Action Against Abduction: Beyond stranger danger (research review)
- Just One Norfolk (NHS): staying safe around other people
- CEOP Safety Centre (National Crime Agency)
- CEOP Education: advice for parents
General safety information for parents and carers, checked 1 October 2026. If a child is in danger, always call 999.
Keep reading
Peace of mind for you and your older teens
For parents and teenagers aged 16 and over, Safety App UK sends an SOS (by button, shake, or automatically in higher-crime zones) with live location and live video to a trusted circle, and adds Safe Zone alerts when someone arrives at or leaves school, work or home. It also shows a live safety map from police data and community reports, with police stations and Ask for Angela venues, and safer routes. It does not call the emergency services, so always dial 999 in an emergency. Free for 7 days, then £2.99 a month. Not for under-16s.