A criminologist has revealed the simple everyday hack that can keep your family safe.
Dannah Eve, originally from Chicago, took to TikTok to encourage people to decide on a secret code word that all members of the family know.
The mother-of-one, who boasts more than 645,000 followers on the video-sharing platform, said there are ‘really so many benefits’ to using the system.
And dozens of other social media users were quick to heap praise on the advice.
Dannah Eve, originally from Chicago, took to TikTok to encourage people to decide on a secret code word that all members of the family know
The mother-of-one, who boasts more than 645,000 followers on the video-sharing platform, said there are ‘really so many benefits’ to using the system
In the clip, which has so far been viewed more than 33,000 times, Dannah speaks directly to the camera to reveal the handy trick.
She begins: ‘Here’s a safety tip for all my families out there.
‘Have a code word that you can incorporate into daily life.
‘It’s something I had with my parents growing up. It’s something I’ve used all my life and it’s something we still use to this day.’
Dannah elaborated further and explained: ‘Now, it can be used in a dangerous situation or just in simple situations where your child wants you to be the one to say no to something.
“A few examples. If someone is picking up your child from school who is not you or your partner, give that person this code word so your child knows that that person is trusted by mum and dad.
“And make sure they know, no matter how believable the story is, unless they use that code word, you’re not allowed to go with that individual.”
The mother, who has degrees in criminology and psychology, continued: ‘A code word is something you can also use in a dangerous situation.
And viewers were quick to shower the video with praise, with one writing: ‘We got one. I don’t need to use it, but my son is comforted knowing it’s there’
“Let’s say a child is home alone and someone goes into that house, or someone they know even goes into that house, and they don’t feel safe, they can call their mom and dad and somehow that code word works into the conversation, and then the parent knows that something is not right.’
Dannah said: ‘Finally, a code word saved me in so many situations with my friends growing up, specifically when I wanted to send a secret message to my parents so they knew they were the ones to say no and I didn’t look like the bad guy.
An example could be your child has a friend over and that friend asks to sleep over. So then your child can come up to you and use that code word in a normal conversation, so you know the answer has to be no.
‘Or let’s say your child is at a party and things start to get out of hand and they don’t feel safe anymore. They could pick up the phone and call you and slip that word into a casual conversation, and you know you have to come get them.’
The content creator, who also now runs her own fitness empire, concluded: ‘There really are so many benefits to having a family code word.’
In a follow-up video, the content creator, who also now runs her own fitness empire, shared a list of family code word examples
And viewers were quick to shower the video with praise, with one writing: ‘We got one. I don’t need to use it, but my son is comforted knowing it’s there.’
Another added: ‘You give the best advice! Thank you.’
And a third simply said, ‘Good idea.’
In a follow-up video, due to popular demand, Dannah shared a list of family code word examples.
She said: ‘When it comes to a family code word, it’s definitely something you don’t want to overthink.
“Now it could be absolutely anything, but in my own personal opinion it’s not something that should be too common or something that’s used every day in your family.”
Sharing her ideas, Dannah revealed: ‘It could be a sport that no one in your family plays, or it could be a food that no one likes.’