It is every parent's worst nightmare. It could occur in your front yard, in front of the school, in your house, in a store, or anywhere. Just imagine you're in your favorite department store not but a mile away from your home and you lose sight of your child.

Many kidnappings that have happened around the United States mainly connect with children wanting to leave with a stranger even though they know that it is wrong.

How is it that adults are capable of luring children into coming with them even though they are complete strangers? Do not parents teach their kids not to go with strangers and if it does happen that they should scream for help? Sure, yet children still willingly go with strangers. But not all children are willing to go with their abductors, some children are forced.

There are things you can do to help your children recognize stranger danger. Child abduction can happen at any time to any child, so it's important to be prepared.

There is a program called Safe Kids America that can help. This program teaches children and parents about stranger danger. Children need to know that dangerous people can drive nice cars, have nice clothes and be outwardly friendly as well as good-looking. It's not too early to make the message clear and strong to keep your children safe.

Safe Kids America is starting several child safety seminars in different area.For more information, call the regional office at 1-866-515-2268

The Definition

Child abduction is the abduction or kidnapping of a child by an older person.

Several distinct forms of child abduction exist:
*A stranger removes a child for criminal or mischevious purposes
*A stranger removes a child (usually a baby) to bring up as that person's own child.
*A parent removes or retains a child from the other parent's care (often in the course of or after divorce proceedings).