Here we are, in a brand new decade with already one year down and we are finding ourselves in the midst of a pandemic. While the pandemic has been occurring for quite some time now it does not mean that crime took a year off, in fact, it has been noticeable that there have been a lot of reports where more children, women, and men who have been affected in the worst way possible.

According to the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) the numbers have doubled when it came to the Online Enticement Reports, where in 2019 the number was 15,220; and when 2020 emerged it showed that the numbers doubled up to 30,236. Another report showed that there was a 10.12% increase of calls to the NCMEC regarding loved ones who had gone missing.

It is unfortunate that the numbers have increased, even in the middle of a pandemic, one would assume that the numbers would have decrease but that is never the case. What can we as adults do to keep one another safe, to keep our children safe from all of the darkness that plagues our world? Do better, be better.

We need to make sure that the children feel safe and have a healthy and safe environment to come home to. We need to make sure that we surround ourselves with people with good intentions, not evil ones. We need to hold ourselves accountable, and others as well. We need to educate ourselves in the form of self defense, lifeline phone numbers for the children to have, and have a secure household that protects everyone that enters your property.

While it seems easier said than done it can be accomplished. In fact, get your children a phone, it doesn't need to be an expensive one, you can get them a cellphone with a reasonable plan to use and monitor the said phone. When it comes to the internet we need to talk to our children more than ever when it comes to catfishing, grooming, and other dangers that come with the territory of the world wide web. Yes, the internet can be used to be find all sorts of amazing things, and can help others reconnect with old pals, however, it does come with a dark secret that is truly terrifying if they are not prepared for it.

The internet is not the only place where issues arise, in fact, it is more common for things to occur in our own neighborhood, or even in our own house. While it is shocking it is and has been a reality for many, and if there are certain things occurring there needs to be a spoken bond between safe spots. Let your children know that they can come to you about anything, that they won't get in trouble if someone is saying or doing anything inappropriately.

No one is going to be perfect, every parent and guardian is going to make mistakes this is all part of being human; however, what we can do to make it a safer place for one another, and the children of the future we need to be educated and in return teach it to those who are unaware of the dangers that lie next door, on the internet, or even in our own home.

The world is a beautiful place, and it is full of wonder and culture that we should be able to learn and teach to others; however, we can agree that it is not a safe place, and we need to make it as safe as we possibly can. With that education is key, just as safety itself is key.