There has never been a time, at least in recent memory, when our children were more vulnerable to the threat of strangers. Whether online or in rural areas and big cities, we are facing a pandemic of kidnappings; online pedophiles,  and what appears to be an attack on our children. It is vital, then, that you talk to your kids about strangers.

Some pre-K schools have already begun the practice of teaching children what to do when confronted by strangers. This has to be reinforced at home as well. Because children are so trusting, it is all the more important to explain to them what to do in case they are approached by someone they do not know. Here are some of the things you can tell them:

• Never talk to a stranger. 
• Never accept anything from a stranger.
• Never get into a car with someone you don’t know. 
• If a stranger looks nice, it doesn’t mean they are. 
• When walking home from school, pair up with one or two friends. 
• Go straight home; do not delay by stopping somewhere with friends.
• If a stranger comes up to you, run and scream. 
• Tell a teacher if anyone tried to bother you on your way to school.
• Don’t stray from the playground. 
• If a stranger says “Your mommy told me to pick you up from school,” don’t believe the person. Run away, find a teacher, and report it. 
• Walk home from school using the same route every day.
• If mommy is picking you up, wait for her inside the school’s main office.
• If a stranger approaches you in a car and wants you to get in, run the OPPOSITE direction of the car and yell for help.

Online predators should be every parents concern. For children who use the internet; there are parental controls which can be used to block out certain sites. Check on your kids’ internet use; what sites they’ve visited; chat rooms or other areas online. Every child needs to be aware of the dangers of the internet. While most kids are using computers in schools and at home, it is important they know there are bad people in this world; that strangers go online specifically to find young girls and boys. Alert them to the fact that while they may think they are talking to a person of a similar age, the person could really be an adult.

In addition, every state affords your child the ability to receive an identification card. The identification card includes the child’s age, sex, height, weight, birthday, hair/eye color, current address, phone, parental information, and a picture and fingerprints of your child. This is vital in finding children who are abducted.

There was a time when trust was a tenet we all lived by. Today, unfortunately, we have the sad duty to tell our kids they can’t trust everyone, sometimes adults in their own families. How do you tell a child, without frightening them, there are people in this world whose sole aim is to harm them? It’s a delicate balance, and as difficult as it may be, every parent should talk to their child about the dangers out there.

• As soon as you realize your child has been abducted, contact local law enforcement official. Always be prepared to supply a complete, detailed description of your child, from the clothes they were wearing, to their physical appearance, to identifying marks, to their normal demeanor. Ensure officials know everything you can recall about any physical location of the abduction. Also supply any other possible circumstances surrounding the abduction and any efforts you may have already taken to find the child prior to notifying authorities.
• Ensure that law enforcement officials enter your child and information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC} Missing Persons File. Also request that a BOLO (Be On the Look-Out) alert be issued for your child. After reporting the disappearance to local law enforcement, ask them to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the abduction.
•  Your home may contain information that will be valuable to investigating officials. As a result, you should limit access to the home until investigators have had the opportunity to complete their investigation of your home. You may not have considered it, but your child’s bedroom, clothing, toys, computers, or any other personal items may hold clues to locating him.
•  Make sure to get the name of the investigating officer responsible for handling your child’s case. Doing this will provide you with a valuable line of communication for additional information you may recall or receive, as well as provide you with a means to keep up to speed on the progress of the investigation. 
• Make a written list of people, such as friends, family members or acquaintances, who may have had recent contact or who may have information pertaining to the disappearance. Other information, such as persons who have had conflicts with your family, people who have moved from your neighborhood or someone who may have displayed an unusual interest in your child, could also be helpful. 
• Get copies of recent photos of your child that clearly show their face and appearance. You will want to provide these photographs to law enforcement, media outlets, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Also, your state will have a missing children program that will assist in distribution of photographs and pertinent information. Ask investigating officials to assist you in contacting the media, the NCMEC and other agencies that can assist you in making fliers and mass distribution of your information. You can contact the NCMEC directly at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) to ask for help in flier distribution. Remember, while the search for your child is young, the more information you can distribute to the most people increases the chance of a safe return.
• Make sure to keep track of all information you receive, from law enforcement contacts, to persons calling your home. A written record of such information, along with writing down any questions or details you may recall, may also be helpful.
•  The  Amber Alert system has been a fantastic development in tools available to parents and officials who are searching for abducted children. Ensure that officials take full advantage of the Amber Alert system. 

There is never a better time than right now to formulate a plan of action in the unlikely event that your child is abducted. The emotions you encounter should your child become missing may overwhelm you and prevent rational thinking and actions in the first moments after an abduction. Having a formal plan will prevent the loss of time while you try to think of what to do next. 

Our children are our most precious gifts, and as parents we understandably want to do everything possible to protect them from harm. Today, that often includes – some would say is first and foremost – teaching them to be wary of others. Parents will often instill a (healthy, they would argue) fear of others, along with providing practical tips on staying safe.

While the attitude is understandable, in light of the many news stories to which they are exposed, it's possible for parents to go overboard and do harm along with the good.

Childhood attitudes about other people tend to persist into adulthood. It's a rare individual who is sufficiently enlightened that they can entirely erase incorrect views of others learned early in life. As a result, parents – while taking reasonable precautions against real risks – will want to carefully consider the extent and manner of their warnings about strangers.

The first difficulty parents encounter, though they are sometimes unaware of it, is the difference in the meaning of 'stranger' for the parent and the child. To a child, the person behind the counter at a local store may not be a stranger. They've seen Mom talk to him many times.

Still, children are often capable of finer distinctions than adults give them credit for. They can, beyond the age of three or so, be taught that looks alone don't define who is or isn't a stranger. Just because the elderly man looks 'nice' doesn't make him not a stranger.

Also, they can be taught that there are circumstances where seeking the aid of a stranger is safe and reasonable. If they become separated from the parent in the library, the teenager wearing an employee badge and pushing a cart of books who directs them to the front desk shouldn't necessarily be regarded fearfully.

Parents are right to be concerned, but they should also try to be objective. Objective does not mean being emotionally or value neutral. It simply means assessing facts honestly and without bias.

Some relevant facts:

- Most child abductions and harm originate from someone familiar to the child – a male relative or neighbor

- Only a very small percentage of children are abducted or harmed by strangers

- Those abducted or harmed tend more often to be children who display fear or lack of confidence when approached by strangers. Also, those who travel alone are more at risk.

Good data is difficult to obtain, owing to an array of different definitions of criminal abduction. Approx. 58,000 children per year are abducted by non-family members. Most are returned within 24 hours. That's a horrifying tragedy for those parents, but it does mean the odds are low.

However, it's understood that since the consequences can be so severe, parents will want to take precautions even against this unlikely event.

Long term harm to a person's view of others can result from succumbing to media-induced paranoia. There are several, reasonable precautions parents often learn in order to protect their children. Teaching children to travel in groups, to stay at arms length when a person appears mistrustful, to run away and/or say 'NO!' loudly and continually when a stranger attempts to lead them away and other common practices are healthy and reasonable.

Its a difficult balence as we don't want to raise paranoid children, and as parents we should attempt to instill a sense of confidence in dealing with the world – a world that includes strangers. The alternative risks raising children who have never been harmed to have the same fear as those who have.