It's a reality that none of us want to face. Our child being abducted. It's a terrifying ordeal that no one should have to deal with.

The past several weeks have been some of sadness when it has come to this conversation. We've had a few children abducted in Montana and my heart has sank every time I have seen the Amber Alerts come through.

You should recall a little girl being abducted in Poplar a few weeks ago and they ended up finding her deceased the very next day. That is the worst a parent can go through. It's devastating.

So how do we as parents keep our kids safe?

I checked out an article on Kids Health and here are some things they said could help that we should know.

  • Of the kids and teens who are truly abducted, most are taken by a family member or an acquaintance; 25% of kids are taken by strangers.
  • Almost all kids kidnapped by strangers are taken by men, and about two thirds of stranger abductions involve female children.
  • Have ID-like photos taken of your kids every 6 months and have them fingerprinted. Many local police departments sponsor fingerprinting programs.
  • Make online safety a priority. The Internet is a great tool, but it's also a place for predators to stalk kids. Be aware of your kids' Internet activities and chat room "friends," and remind them never to give out personal information. Avoid posting identifying information or photos of your kids online.
  • Set boundaries about the places your kids go. Supervise them in places like malls, movie theaters, parks, public bathrooms, or while fundraising door to door.

That is just the start. We have a huge responsibility to keep our kids safe and it is getting to be an ever bigger challenge to do so.

I pray we can put a stop to this problem.

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