How Can I Help Prevent My Child From Being Abducted?

1. Teach your children to run away from danger, never towards it. Teach them to yell loudly. Their safety is more important than being polite.
2. Never let your children go places alone, and always supervise your young children or make sure there is a trusted adult present to supervise them if you cannot. Make your older children always take a friend when they go somewhere.
3. Know where your children are and whom they are with at all times. Remind children never to take anything or respond in any way if approached by someone they don't know. Teach them to run away as quickly as they can.
4. Talk openly to your children about safety and encourage them to tell you or another trusted adult if anyone or anything makes them feel frightened, confused, or uncomfortable. Know your children's friends and their families. Pay attention to your children and listen to them. If you don't, there is always someone else who will.
5. Practice what you teach by creating what-if scenarios with your children to make sure they understand the safety message and can use it in a real situation.
6. Consider installing an alarm system in your home with a monitoring feature. Make sure your home is secured with deadbolts locks, and ensure that landscaping around it doesn't provide places for people to hide. Make sure that your home is fully secured before you go to sleep with items, such as ladders, stored inside. Prepare a plan to vacate your home in case of any emergency.
7. Make your children part of securing your home. If you have installed an alarm system, demonstrate it to your children and show them how to make certain that doors and windows are locked.
8. Have a list of family members who could be contacted in case of an emergency. Designate a family member or close associate who would be able to fill the role of advisor in case of an emergency.
9. Be alert to and aware of your surroundings. Know the escape routes and plan what you would do in different emergencies. Practice what-if scenarios, so you will be well prepared. Know the location of local hospitals and best routes to take to reach them.
10. Know your coworkers and employees. Do background screening and reference checks on everyone who works at your home, particularly those individuals who care for your children.
11. Consider varying your daily routines and habits. Do note take the same routes or go at the same time on your regular errands. If you take your children to school, change the routes as well.
12. Take steps to secure personal information about yourself. Consider getting a post office box and registering everything you can there including your vehicles and drivers license. Have personal bills sent to your place of work or the post office box. Be discreet about your possessions and family's personal habits and information.
13. Report any suspicious persons or activities to law enforcement. If you feel that you or your children have been targeted or are being stalked, immediately report this information to law-enforcement.
14. Remember that you are your best resource for better safeguarding your family. Do not become complacent about personal security issues.

These safety tips came from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. You can visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.com.