Fulks got this brilliant idea after talking to teens in addiction clinics across the country. He asked each of those kids a simple question: "Have you ever found yourself in a situation where things started happening that you weren’t comfortable with, but you stuck around, mainly because you felt like you didn’t have a way out?"

All teenagers admitted having experienced such moments on many occasions. So the pastor decided that something needed to be done to help kids (and, specifically, his own son) overcome the problem. Here's how Fulks himself describes his invention:

"Let’s say that my youngest, Danny, gets dropped off at a party. If anything about the situation makes him uncomfortable, all he has to do is text the letter "X" to any of us (his mother, me, his older brother or sister). The one who receives the text has a very basic script to follow. Within a few minutes, they call Danny’s phone.

When he answers, the conversation goes like this:

- Hello?

- Danny, something’s come up, and I have to come get you right now.

- What happened?

- I’ll tell you when I get there. Be ready to leave in five minutes. I’m on my way.

At that point, Danny tells his friends that something’s happened at home, someone is coming to get him, and he has to leave."

That's it. Danny is home, safe and sound. From his friends' point of view, he didn't run away but merely had to leave on important business.

This know-how not only protects your child from harm but also helps to build trust. The most important thing is to make kids realize that even if they get in trouble due to disobedience, their parents' chief priority would be not to punish but to help!

If You Receive a Message Like This, You’ve Got to Come to Your Kid’s Help At Once