By Kira Cluff
Recent high-profile kidnappings prompted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to release safety tips this week intended to reduce the risk of child-abductions.
The newest edition of NCMEC''s Know the Rules series, 'Abduction and Kidnapping Prevention Tips for Parents,' outlines 14 guidelines to safeguard children from adult predators.
The tips focus on teaching parents basic methods of preparedness while underlining general cautionary measures.
'Children need to be involved in family safety plans,' said NCMEC director of Prevention Education Nancy McBride.
In a statement released this week, McBride said parents need to talk to their children about safety as soon as they are old enough to speak.
She also said parents should regularly practice emergency plans with their children.
The center received numerous requests this summer from parents concerned about kidnappings from the home. The fact sheet reflects that concern and provides concerned parents a few tips intended to enhance home security, McBride said.
High on the list were tips directing children to run away from danger, yell for help and never go anywhere alone.
Parents should never allow their children to leave adult supervision without that adult knowing exactly where the child will go and when they will return.
The list counsels adults to talk openly with children, provide them with emergency phone numbers, and know everyone with whom the children come in contact.
According to a study conducted by the Washington State Attorney General''s Office, 57 percent of the child-abduction murder cases involved crimes of opportunity.
Special Agent George Dougherty from the FBI''s Salt Lake City division said parents do the best good when they maintain close relationships with their children
'A lot of it is having communications with your children,' Dougherty said, 'Parents need to not be afraid to sit them down to say, ''There are people out there that want to hurt kids.'' '
He said ultimately children should feel completely comfortable telling parents about any strangers who approach them, cars that follow them home, or strangers they encounter over the Internet.
'Children are very smart, but they''re na?ve,' Dougherty said. 'A little bit of communication can go along way.'
Child-abduction cases only fall under FBI jurisdiction when kidnappings cross state lines, involve ransom demands or, as with the Smart case, local officers request federal intervention.
That does not mean agents wait until children are missing to act.
The FBI works closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Dougherty said. Agents working in the school systems take pictures and finger print children so the parents have specific identification records for emergencies.
Dougherty also said agents spend time teaching students basic self-defense and instructing them on how to carry themselves in unexpected situations.
'Children should be aware of their surroundings, Dougherty said. 'You have to tell people, ''No matter what kind of person pulls up, you can''t fall victim to their tricks.'' '
Stephanie Ashby, 27, a BYU graduate in business management said that although her two-year-old son is too young to understand, she''s already teaching him the dangers of running off when she''s not looking.
'Tyler thinks it''s funny in the store when he walks away,' Ashby said. 'I''m always trying to tell him, ''I know you think it''s funny that Mommy''s trying to chase you, but what if someone were going to take you when you run around the corner?'' I''m trying to let him know that it really scares me.'
Some of the biggest challenges parents face today are the dangers of Internet predators, Ashby said. Parents should be especially vigilant about whom their children talk to and what they talk about.
Captain Ken Hansen, a section chief for the Utah Attorney General''s office and the director of Utah''s Internet Crimes Against Children, said his taskforce arrests two Internet predators a week.
The task force, only 33 months old, has already processed 350 child pornography cases and recently received another 150 cases for the undercover division to investigate.
These cases, involving suspects across Utah, arise as national FBI investigators scan credit records looking for recent purchases of child pornography.
'Know the rules,' Hansen said when asked what parents and children should do to protect themselves from such predators.
'Parents must learn about the Internet so they can talk to their children and can teach them safe uses,' he said. 'Yeah, you can have rules about where to put the computer and when it should be used, but the most important thing parents must gain is a basic understanding of how the Internet works.'