Over the past five months the nation has watched as strangers have taken Danielle Van Dam, Elizabeth Smart, Samantha Runnion and Erica Pratt from their front yards and their bedrooms.

Every year thousands of children are abducted, but the nature of these specific cases has created widespread interest and fear.

Provo is considered one of the safest communities for children, yet some parents are concerned because of the recent child abductions making news headlines.

"Provo is probably the scariest place to me because everyone knows there are a lot of children here," said Tanya Roylance, a Provo mother of two.

The trusting nature of the strong LDS community may lead parents to become relaxed about their child's safety.

"A lot of parents have busy lifestyles, and children are being left unsupervised at younger ages. In this society it used to be okay, but things are scary now," said Roylance concerning the recent abductions. "I think it's always good for people to be aware of what can happen."

Karen Mayne, public information officer with the Provo Police Department, believes parents have a responsibility to teach their children how to be safe.

Mayne recommends parents know where their children are at all times.

"Children should give their parents notice when they are going to a friends house to play," she said.

Parents should also be sensitive to a child's behavior, keeping the lines of communication open, so children can talk to them if the child has any concerns.

"We do have sexual-type predators out there who may not abduct but may abuse or molest children," she said.

Parents should caution their children to beware of strangers who ask for help looking for lost keys or a pet.

"We've talked to our kids and told them if someone comes up to them and says 'I need help getting my keys out of a small area,' we've said 'does an adult really need your help,'" Roylance said.

Mayne suggests parents be alert to any teenager or adult that pays an unusual amount of attention to a child.

Anyone who may give a child expensive gifts or acts inappropriately around a child is someone parents should beware of, she said.

"You need to trust people and be kind but always be cautious," Roylance said.

"Parents should have current records on their children-current photographs, something that most parents have," Mayne said. "So if something does happen, they can make them available to the police."

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a list of safety tips for parents on its Web site, www.missingkids.com.

"I'm glad we're having this discussion. I'm glad children are learning they need to be careful, they need to be safe and learning how they can do that," said Mayne.

Copyright Brigham Young University 24 Jul 2002