IEP goals for stranger safety
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Stranger safety IEP goals teach a student to spot an unsafe request, say no, get away and tell a trusted adult, and to find a safe helper when they need one. A strong goal uses role-play with known adults and a high criterion, such as refusing a lure from an unfamiliar adult and walking to a staff member on 5 of 5 role-plays.
The old "stranger danger" message (never talk to strangers) does not hold up well for students with disabilities. They talk to unfamiliar adults all the time: bus drivers, cashiers, new aides, nurses, police. And people who want to harm a child are not always strangers. Modern stranger safety teaching focuses on behavior instead: some requests are tricky no matter who makes them, some adults are safe helpers, and the response is the same each time. Say no, get away, tell.
This page gives 24 goals in five groups, each with an illustrative baseline and a template. School psychologists, counselors and teachers often co-write these goals. The life skills IEP goals pillar covers the other safety goals, and the street and stranger safety goal hub collects templates.
Choosing a stranger safety goal
| Student profile | Sub-skill | Measure | Data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goes with anyone who is friendly | Spotting tricky requests (lures) | Correct responses out of role-plays | Opportunity data sheet |
| Knows the rule, freezes in the moment | No, go, tell response | Steps completed out of 3 | Task analysis data sheet |
| Afraid of all unfamiliar adults | Safe helpers in the community | Correct choices out of photos or scenes | Accuracy data sheet |
| Shares personal details with anyone | Personal information boundaries | Correct decisions out of scenarios | Accuracy data sheet |
| Chats with unknown people online | Online contacts | Correct actions out of scenarios | Opportunity data sheet |
Role-plays use adults the student knows but who act as "unfamiliar" for the practice, or new staff the family and school have agreed to. Tell families before role-plays begin, and keep them short and calm. The goal is a practiced response, not fear.
Spotting tricky requests
Common lures include an offer of a treat or a ride, or a request for help finding a pet. Others are a claim that a parent sent them, a request to keep a secret, or an invitation to go somewhere private.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In a role-play with an adult acting as unfamiliar, when offered a treat or a ride, the student will say "no" and walk to a staff member within 10 seconds on 5 of 5 role-plays. | Accepts on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
| 2. Given 12 scenario cards (asks for help finding a dog, says "your mom sent me," offers a game), the student will sort tricky from safe requests with 12 of 12 correct on 2 probes. | 6 of 12 | Accuracy | Template |
| 3. Given 8 scenarios about secrets, the student will tell a safe secret (a surprise party) from an unsafe one (a secret about touching or gifts) with 8 of 8 correct on 3 probes. | 4 of 8 | Accuracy | Template |
| 4. When an adult says "your parent asked me to pick you up" in a role-play, the student will say "I need to check" and go to the office or a staff member on 4 of 4 role-plays. | Goes along on 3 of 4 | Opportunities | Template |
| 5. When a peer or adult offers pills or an unknown substance, the student will refuse and tell an adult on 4 of 4 role-plays. | 1 of 4 | Opportunities | Template |
Weak: "The student will understand stranger danger."
Measurable: "When offered a treat or a ride in a role-play, the student will say 'no' and walk to a staff member within 10 seconds on 5 of 5 role-plays."
No, go, tell
The core response has three steps: say no (or sign or show a card), go away toward a safe place or person, and tell a trusted adult.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. In role-play, the student will complete all 3 steps of no, go, tell on 5 consecutive scenarios. | 1 of 3 steps | Task analysis | Template |
| 7. When an unwanted request happens in a role-play, the student will say no in a clear, loud voice (or show a STOP card) on 5 of 5 trials. | Whispers or silent on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
| 8. After any unsafe or confusing encounter, the student will tell a trusted adult within the same school day on 3 of 3 occasions, real or role-played. | Does not report | Opportunities | Template |
| 9. When peers do something unsafe or invite the student to, the student will leave and find an adult on 4 of 4 role-plays. | Stays with peers | Opportunities | Template |
The "tell" step is the one most often skipped. Practice it every time and praise the telling, not just the refusing.
Weak: "The student will know what to do if approached."
Measurable: "In role-play, the student will complete all 3 steps of no, go, tell on 5 consecutive scenarios, measured by task analysis."
Safe helpers in the community
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. Given photos of 10 community helpers (police, cashier in uniform, librarian, parent with children) and 5 other adults, the student will pick the safest helper to ask when lost with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 4 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 11. On a community outing, when told to find help, the student will go to a uniformed employee at a counter on 4 of 4 trials. | Approaches anyone nearby | Opportunities | Template |
| 12. Given a drawing of relationship circles (family, friends, helpers, strangers), the student will place 12 people in the correct circle with 11 of 12 correct on 2 probes. | 6 of 12 | Accuracy | Template |
| 13. Given 10 people the student knows, the student will match the greeting that fits (hug, high five, wave, handshake) with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 5 of 10 | Opportunities | Template |
| 14. When a familiar community worker greets the student, the student will reply with a greeting and keep personal space on 4 of 5 opportunities. | Hugs or ignores on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
Students who fear every unfamiliar adult need goals 10 and 11 as much as anyone. A student who will not ask a store worker for help when lost is less safe, not more.
Weak: "The student will know who to trust."
Measurable: "Given photos of 15 adults, the student will pick the safest helper to ask when lost with 9 of 10 correct on 3 probes."
Personal information boundaries
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. When an unfamiliar adult asks for the student's address or school in a role-play, the student will say "I don't share that" and walk to staff on 5 of 5 trials. | Shares on 4 of 5 | Opportunities | Template |
| 16. When someone knocks at the door during a home-alone role-play, the student will check through the window or camera and not open for an unknown person on 4 of 4 trials. | Opens on 3 of 4 | Opportunities | Template |
| 17. When a caller asks "Are you home alone?" in a role-play, the student will give a safe answer ("My mom can't come to the phone") on 4 of 4 calls. | Says yes | Opportunities | Template |
| 18. Given 10 kinds of information (first name, home address, favorite color, password, school name), the student will sort safe-to-share and private with 10 of 10 correct on 3 probes. | 6 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
Weak: "The student will keep personal information private."
Measurable: "When an unfamiliar adult asks for the student's address in a role-play, the student will say 'I don't share that' and walk to staff on 5 of 5 trials."
Online contacts
Many unsafe contacts now start online. These goals suit middle and high school students who use phones, games or social apps.
| Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Measure | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19. When an unknown person messages the student in a practice app or game, the student will not reply, block and report the contact, and tell an adult on 4 of 4 scenarios. | Replies on 3 of 4 | Task analysis | Template |
| 20. When asked for a photo of their body in a practice scenario, the student will refuse, block and tell an adult on 4 of 4 scenarios. | Unsure what to do | Opportunities | Template |
| 21. Given 10 messages, the student will spot warning signs of grooming (gifts, secrecy, "you're special," requests to move to a private app) with 9 of 10 correct on 2 probes. | 4 of 10 | Accuracy | Template |
| 22. Before meeting an online friend in person, the student will make a plan with a trusted adult (public place, adult knows, phone charged), 5 of 5 steps, on 2 of 2 practice plans. | Would go alone | Task analysis | Template |
| 23. With adult help, the student will set a social account to private and limit who can message them, 6 of 6 steps, on 2 probes. | Account public | Task analysis | Template |
| 24. When an online game or app offers a prize for personal details, the student will close it and tell an adult on 4 of 4 scenarios. | Enters details on 2 of 4 | Opportunities | Template |
Physical boundaries and consent are taught on the body safety lessons page, which also covers how schools coordinate that instruction.
Weak: "The student will be safe online."
Measurable: "When an unknown person messages the student in a practice app, the student will not reply, block and report the contact, and tell an adult on 4 of 4 scenarios, measured by task analysis."
How to measure stranger safety goals
Use the opportunities method for role-plays: each scenario is one opportunity, scored correct only if the whole response happened. Use task analysis when the response has steps, such as no, go, tell. Use percent accuracy for sorting cards.
Probe every 1 to 2 weeks, with new scenarios each time. After the criterion is met, check once a month for the rest of the year, and once in a new setting. Role-play results show the student can respond; a generalization probe in the community shows whether the skill carries over.
Adapting by age and support level
| Student | Focus | Criterion example |
|---|---|---|
| K-2 | Safe helpers, no, go, tell, safe and unsafe secrets | 3 of 3 steps on 5 scenarios |
| Grades 3 to 5 | Tricky requests, personal information | 12 of 12 scenario cards |
| Middle school | Peer pressure, online contacts, home alone | 4 of 4 online scenarios |
| High school and transition | Grooming signs, meeting online friends, community helpers | 9 of 10 warning signs spotted |
More templates are on the relationships and boundaries goals, community safety goals, personal information hub and safety signs hub. Related guides: street crossing goals, what to do if lost goals and social-emotional IEP goals. Check each draft in the goal checker.
Goals should address the functional needs in present levels, and safety is one of the most pressing.[1]
Frequently asked questions
Is stranger danger still the right way to teach safety?
Most teams now teach safe helpers and tricky requests instead. Students learn that the request matters more than whether the person is a stranger, and that some unfamiliar adults, like uniformed workers, are the right people to ask for help.
How do I run stranger safety role-plays safely?
Tell families first. Use staff the student knows acting as unfamiliar, or adults the school and family have approved. Keep scenarios short and calm, end each with praise, and stop if the student becomes distressed.
Who should write stranger safety goals?
Teachers, school psychologists and counselors often co-write them. Families should help choose scenarios, since they know where the student goes and who the student meets outside school.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Street and stranger safety goal hub
- Relationships and boundaries goals (social emotional)
- Community safety goals (functional skills)
- Personal information goal hub
- Safety signs goal hub
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Life skills IEP goals: the complete map by domain
- Teaching personal safety and body boundaries
- IEP goals for street crossing
- What to do if lost: safety IEP goals
- Home alone safety skills
- IEP goals for seizure safety
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- CASEL: Social and emotional learning, CASEL
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.