Having to escape a locked trunk becomes infinitely less thrilling when the victim is a child, rather than a crowd-pleasing magician.

But it is a skill set a trained group of professionals want to impart on children in Lemont, in case a child abduction turns from a scary hypothetical to a terrifying reality.

Children can brush up on those skills by participating in the Fighting Chance training program. Through the class, students ages 9 to 15 will learn a range of skills to prevent and escape abduction.

Sponsored by the Lemont Junior Woman’s Club, the program is taught by members of the Lemont Police Department, Lemont Fire Protection District and the Illinois State Police Department.

“I think it is truly one of the best classes we offer,” said Darlene Brady, Lemont Junior Woman’s Club member.

Through the program, students rotate between different discussion groups throughout the day, learning what to do if a stranger approaches, how to get away and how to yell for help. The students then break into smaller groups and learn hands-on safety techniques such as escaping a vehicle, how to hide, contact 911 and self defense.

“The class causes (students) to think, ‘What if?’” said Lemont police officer Denise Bode, program facilitator. “What if you’re walking with friends and it’s dark at night — what would you do? Or what if somebody were to grab you — what would you do? The more information, especially nowadays, that young people have, the better armed they are to protect themselves.”

Lemont parent Denise Coules lauds the program. Both her daughters took the course when they were younger, and Coules helped out as an adult guide.

Her daughters are now in sixth and eighth grades.

“Now that we’re giving them more independence, it’s nice that they have those life lessons to fall back on,” Coules said.

While helping out with the safety class, it was at times hard for Coules to watch her daughters learn the hands-on techniques to ward off a potential assailant.

“When they are teaching them how to escape from the trunk of a car, they actually put them in the trunk of a car and learn how to get out,” she said. “It was kind of scary as a mom. As I sat there watching, I started crying. I got a little overwhelmed emotionally. If they were actually in that situation it would be terrible, but at the same time you think, ‘Boy I’m glad they know these things.’”