Educate your children on how to talk on the phone and how not to let people know when mom and dad are gone.

Instruct children to never open the door to strangers -- no matter who they say they are.

Encourage children to talk to parents, relatives or a friend when they have a problem -- not to strangers.

Make children aware of the dangers of accepting rides from strangers.

Children should know a safe, well traveled route to and from school. Isolated areas need to be avoided.

Teenage baby sitters should not accept jobs with people they do not know.

Baby sitters should call the parents immediately if anything suspicious happens.

Baby sitters should never open the door to strangers.

Baby sitters should call his or her parents to let them know they are on the way home.