President Bush spoke Tuesday in the Rose Garden: ""One of the most important things that a mom or dad can do is talk to your children, very specifically."

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush announced plans Tuesday for a White House summit next month on missing, exploited and runaway children.

"The kidnapping or murder of a child is every parent's worst nightmare," Bush said in a Rose Garden ceremony.

The announcement comes amid the widely reported abductions and killings of several children, including 5-year-old Samantha Runnion.

"Our nation has come to know the names and faces of too many wonderful children, because they've been the victims of despicable violence," Bush said.

The Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also plan to take part in the September 24 summit.

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The meeting is designed to raise public awareness of the issue and bring together those who can contribute to discussions on the matter, the White House said on Monday.

Bush is to host the all-day meeting, which is expected to be held on the George Washington University campus in Washington.

Cabinet secretaries, members of law enforcement, federal, state and local government officials, corporate leaders, citizen experts, and victims' parents are among those expected to participate.

Handbook now online
Bush on Tuesday also announced the release of a new guidebook, "Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents." The book is available in English and Spanish on the Web at www.missingkids.com. (Click here)

"One of the most important things that a mom or dad can do," Bush said on Tuesday, "is talk to your children, very specifically, and rehearse what they can say or do if they feel threatened. ... For example, unfamiliar adults usually will not ask them for directions or help. Such a request might be a trick."

The conference will cover such topics as missing and exploited children, runaway and homeless youth, international child abduction, sex trafficking of children, child pornography, Internet safety, and corporate and community involvement in preventing problems.

Samantha Runnion, 5, was kidnapped and brutally killed last month.
According to the White House, more than 58,000 children in the United States are abducted by non-relatives each year.

In addition, 200,000 children are abducted by family members seeking to interfere with a parent's custodial rights, the White House said.

Ninety-eight percent of children return from these abductions, the White House said, noting that this figure still leaves too many children who do not come back.

Of the kidnappings by strangers, 40 percent of children are killed, according to the White House.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/08/06/bush.children/index.html

"Of the kidnappings by strangers, 40 percent of children are killed, according to the White House."

That's at least 23,000 children killed in stranger abductions a year in this country.

Something has to be done to stop sex offenders, NOW.

Those figures are off.

http://www.disabledofficers.homestead.com/Children.html

Law enforcement knows of an estimated 3,200 - 4,600 short-term non-family abductions each year. Of these , its estimated that from 200-300 are steriotypical kidnappings where a child is gone overnight , is killed , is transported a distance of 50 miles or more , or where the perpetrator intends to keep the child permanetly. FBI data shows an estimated 43 to 147 stranger abduction homicides of children annually between 1976 and 1987.

Maybe the Ramseys will go themselves. I think that would be great.