Someone in work is really upset about an incident yesterday. She was in a shopping centre and saw a little boy aged about 3 wandering around on his own. She went over and crouched down and started asking him where his mummy was, and could he point to the shop she was in etc. After a couple of minutes, a woman came along, glared at my colleague, took her child's hand and marched off. My colleague is saying that it's the last time she'll bother to get involved if she's going to be treated like an abductor.

She's not the first person I know who's had that experience, and I think it's really sad. I'm just wondering are some parents so suspicious and hostile that they're actually going to create situations where many people will now think twice about helping a lost child.

It's not unusual for parents in that and similar situations to be embarrassed because they fear being accused of bad parenting and so react rather abruptly. It hasn't and won't stop me trying to help a child if I think they need it. I am not looking for thanks.

^^ This ^^

I don't think she was looking for thanks, but she was made to feel that she'd done something wrong by approaching the child. I know, as I said, of other people who've been glared at or had the child told, in front of them, that they're not to talk to strangers when the individual concerned was just trying to make sure an obviously lost child was looked after.

I'd rather be treated like an abductor by an angry parent and make sure the child is okay rather than ignore the situation altogether and risk the child's safety.

I hate the modern day paedophobia and 'stranger danger' paranoia that so many seem to have. I would always help out a young child if I thought they needed it. If my daughter got lost in the future and a stranger helped her out, I'd be very grateful not pissed off.

To be honest, I would have thought the first reaction of a parent who had been looking for their child, would be relief and gratitude that he's okay and being looked after, not defensiveness on their own behalf.

My parents both said to me a few years back* that these days they'd be reluctant to go over to a small child who appeared lost if they didn't know the parents/child, they'd watch the little one, or try get to get a member of store staff/security etc but not necessarily go to help directly

This is from a couple who love kids, used to foster, were (at the time) both helping out at a local school (having the full clearance thing), and a few years prior would never have given a second thought about it.


*Well 10 or so.

To be honest, I'd most likely not get involved if I saw a child in such a situation as in these days of passers by filming everything on their phones I'd be scared of some stupid parent going off on one at me calling me a paedophile or such and it ending up on social media all over the Internet.

Trust me it doesn't matter if you are a store worker in uniform you still get those looks and no thank you from some parents and we have a small child get lost probably ever couple of weeks in my store. That will of course increase this time of year.

Good job it wasn't a man who was making sure the child was ok.

He would find himself in a police cell.

Yes, I would certainly not blame any males for being extremely reluctant to approach a strange child under any circumstances. There are some ridiculous parents out there who seem to teach their children that all strange men are probably paedophiles.

Surely on the off chance someone did decide to film you, what would they see exactly? How could saying 'excuse me little boy/girl, are you lost?' In anyway make you look like a paedophile? Even if someone did film it?

You can help your colleague understand that she did nothing wrong - she did the right thing. It's not her fault the parent acted in the way she did. As has been said, the parent may have been embarrassed, negligent or just stupid. The experience certainly shouldn't put her off doing the same thing again.

Imagine if she did ignore a lost child in the future and that child came to harm. How would she feel then?

That's just nonsense.

Well of course, but shhh!

No, not really,

As a single man in his mid 40s, who lives alone in a flat above a shop and keeps himself to himself and enjoys the occasional video game I know there is absolutely no way I can ever speak to a lone child whatever the situation.

Must admit this crossed my mind earlier in the year when a child was clearly lost and I was outside work having a cig. At the time I felt glad I was with someone else to what to do, however it got to the point where we had to run after the kiddy who was heading into a main road – as in right on the edge of the kerb.

What surprised me was people just watching a 3 year old kid running around in the pouring rain, without any adult at all close by. Not sure if this crossed their mind or if they were just inconsiderate. Anyhow the child had managed to run quite a distance away from the mother in the town centre, at this point me and my colleague were taking him into the main work office to inform security, but it was only after another lady had come running round the corner shouting that there was a lost child and had we seen him that we were able to get the kid back with his mother.

Not that we wanted one, but we received no thanks for stopping him (both males) though the lady running on her behalf did, however the mother was clearly distraught and just grateful she had found him.

You're helping a kid out, not trying to groom them for sex. Why does living alone, living in a flat or even playing video games stop you from helping out a child? Why are you paranoid that strangers will think you're a paedophile? How will a stranger even know you live in flat or play video games?

As a male I'd probably find a woman and point the child out. People are very hysterical these days, I wouldn't put myself in that situation. Videos, memes, viral is the reason people are cautious.

*sigh*

And it's because of moronic viewpoints like these that some folk are put off helping others.

Of course you wouldn't be arrested and put in a police cell, whoever heard of such nonsense!

No, but it would take a brave man to take a strange child by the hand and start walking off with him to find a security guard or help look for his mother. Most guys would look for a female and point the lost child out to them.

"Excuse me madam, but is that your child?"

*Bloke legs it*

Fair play.

Some strange views here.

I wouldn't help out a kid because...

Somone may film me, it go viral and I'll be know as a paedo.

Because I could be thrown in prison

Because I live in a flat and play games.

A photo gets put on facebook and twitter with"this filthy &^$&^ just tried to grab my child in (area) share this so we can find out their name" . Within an hour half a million have shared the face and the story. Good luck proving yourself innocent to them