With summer here and kids having a little less structure, advocacy groups say it never hurts to remind them what to do if they feel unsafe and to have a plan in place.
"You can't bury yourself in the ground, and you can't go down the slide on the railing," said 7-year-old Bob Papik, who knows how to stay safe on the playground.
But if a stranger comes, then does he know what to do?
"My mom usually says if a stranger picks you up, you yell kick and scream, and then run," he said.
Bob's mom, Rachel Papik, says she often talks to all 3 of her children about safety.
"safety is not a big concern, I mean I'm always aware of who's at the park," Rachel Papik said. "I really have just taught my kids to be advocates for themselves. They have permission to kick and scream and run away from people if they don't feel comfortable with what's happening."
Ursula Turner says she lives near Elmwood Park. She was stunned to hear a man was arrested at Henry Doorly Zoo over the holiday weekend, after allegedly groping a teen.
She says her main defense is not letting her children out of her sight.
"The best you can do is try to talk to them about safe people and who are not," Turner said. "You can't just let your kids run around like when we were little. It's kind of a sad thing. You have to be more aware and around them, even in the neighborhood."
For 7-year-old Bob, he's says if anything happens, whether that's falling off a slide or getting approached by a stranger, he knows what to do.
"Then you run to your parents," he said.
The Omaha Police Department says using a buddy system can help in a lot of situations, especially for teens when parents aren't around.
