Somer Thompson's death raises questions of children's safety

Somer Thompson disappeared on Monday as she walked home from school with a group of children. As soon as she was separated from them, one of whom was her sister, she disappeared. Her body was discovered Wednesday in a Georgia landfill, and was positively identified Thursday. As of this writing, no suspect has been apprehended, possibly leaving other children in Thompson's neighborhood vulnerable to abduction.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that in the United States there is an estimated 800,000 children under the age of 18 are missing each year, with an average of 2,000 reported missing each day.

While many people only hear about a fraction of these missing children through media outlets, high-profile cases such as the disappearances and deaths of Somer Thompson and Caylee Anthony, bring child abductions into the spotlight, reminding people that children are not always safe.

Television and movies have made a joke of using the phrase "But who will think of the children?" to make absurd or comical points, but when it comes to their safety, this is a valid question that needs to be asked and answered.

While there are organizations, such as the NCMEC or social services programs, that work to find children and remove them from unsafe environments, many people ask why there is no national organization that works to prevent children from being abducted in the first place.

People want to know how many Somer Thompsons must be reported before the nation recognizes the need to protect our children?

For more information about how you can help find missing children, visit NCMEC's website.

Written by Nicole Palmby