Yeah, I’d tack onto to this add that I have had similar experiences around that age. While I never got a parental talk about this specifically, I always had stranger danger drilled into me. The context of what was happening made more sense when I got a little older and seemed to just be an accepted thing that happened among my peers at the time.

It felt really common and not a lot could be done about it as a kid and joking about the creepy old man on the bus or street was really all we could do.

Granted, I am from a large city which has its own risks, but I imagine a familiar, trusting small town has its own flavor of problems. The most important part is your kid feeling comfortable talking to you, having the support needed to emotionally process the events when they occur, and being unafraid to speak up if they have to.

Good luck.