It’s a problem that has surfaced in media reports all over the United States lately.

Young unsuspecting children have been lured away by predators — predators who are not only dangerous but also have a keen awareness of what lures children into their grasp.

The names may be familiar — Elizabeth Smart, a 14 year old teenager, living in Salt Lake City, who recently disappeared; Cassandra Williamson, a young six year old living in St. Louis who was snatched from her father’s home and killed; Samantha Runnion, a five year old living in Orange County, Calif., who was abducted, sexually assaulted and killed; and Jacqueline Marris, 17, and Tamara Brooks, 16, who were abducted at gunpoint from their home in Lancaster, Calif., but fortunately survived to tell the tale after police caught the suspect, shooting him to death.

Capt. Billy Morgan, head of the Youth Aid Division at the Selma Police Department, said that although nothing has happened Selma recently, parents should still take necessary precautions to ensure that their children are kept safe and sound.

Morgan recommended several tips for parents to keep children safe.

First, parents should make sure that their children know their full name, address and telephone number.

“Always make sure that they keep this in the back of their mind at all times,” said Morgan. “This is very important.”

Second, make sure children know how to dial 911, using a pay phone.

Third, ask children not to keep secrets.

Said Morgan, “If they say they are asked to keep a secret, especially from an adult they don’t know, make sure you tell them that it is not OK to keep secrets.”

Fourth, make sure that “your child knows the difference between a good touch and a bad touch.”

Finally, said Morgan, the common way a predator lures a child is by telling the child that “he has lost his puppy or lost his dog.”

“This is the way that [Samantha Runnion] was lured” by her predator, said Morgan. “Tell your child that it is not OK to talk to strangers under any circumstances.”