How to Keep Your Child Safe

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: A child is snatched from the playground in broad daylight never to be seen or heard from again. And it feels like it’s happening all the time. But while it may seem like we are in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic, the truth is much less scary. According to data from the U.S. Justice Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), kidnappings are on the decline. Each year, between 200 and 300 kids are taken in “stereotypical” kidnappings (i.e. grabbed from their homes or playgrounds and then murdered or held for ransom), and 50 to 150 are murdered. Officials expect this year’s total number to dip to near 100, hopefully dragging down the murder rate accordingly. And despite what you might reasonably think after hearing the terrible stories of Elizabeth Smart (who was returned safely home more than nine months after her abduction) and Samantha Runnion, the specter of kidnapping by strangers should not be parents’ primary concern; parents themselves perpetrate more than 98 percent of all kidnappings, according to the DOJ. While about 700,000 missing children reports were filed in 2001, only a tiny percentage of those cases were non-family abductions. And here’s one piece of positive news: 94 percent of kidnapped children are returned to their parents. READ MORE HERE

10 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe

Jim Higley: 25 Tips to Keep Kids Safe from Abductors 

Dr. Phil.com – Advice – Top Five Ways for Parents to Protect Children

Is a Code Word Enough to Keep Your Child Safe from Strangers?

The Best Ways In Keeping Children Safe

How to keep your child safe from predators

How Can I Keep My Kids Safe Without Making Them Fearful

Keeping Children Safe – Polly Klaas Foundation

How to Keep Your Child Safe from Abduction

Keeping Your Child Safe on the Internet – Parenting.com