We've told the girls that they shouldn't go anywhere with anyone other than Mum, Dad, Gran or Grandad unless they're at school, in which case you add in their teacher. I agree with LS in not agreeing with a blanket don't talk to strangers. I don't believe that level of caution is required, especially given that the majority of awful things that happen to children are done by people that are known to them.

We have told them that there could never, ever be anything so bad that they couldn't tell us, and that it doesn't matter what anyone else says to them, we will never ever be cross with them for telling us something. Over the last year or so I'm starting to address the issue of not being naked around others (not us - everybody's a "nudie rudie" in our house), that we don't touch other people's bodies etc, and that if anyone does anything to them they don't like they should yell and scream as loud as they can.

I have a friend who has oldler children - 7 and 9 - and she has given them a secret word. Basically nobody but her, her parents and her children know it, not even close friends, and her kids know that no matter who it is, unless they know the magic word then the child is not to go with them.