WHEN TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN TO CHILDREN

A wave of stories about the abductions and deaths of small children hits close to home. That's not only because we are separated from a couple of these stories by a mere 120 miles of interstate highway, but because the children who met these unfortunate ends are not unlike those who reside in our own communities: bright, energetic ... and ultimately helpless. Bringing to justice the person or persons responsible for these acts is a daunting task. Making sense of why some in our society target the most vulnerable among us might never be accomplished.

In Petaluma, Calif., a city not much bigger than Cape Girardeau, residents mourn the strangling death of 12-year-old Polly Klaas, abducted before the eyes of friends at a slumber party in her home. In St. Louis, a metropolis where violent crime has become unfortunately commonplace, residents grow even more fearful about their daily lives following the kidnappings and eventual killings of 9-year-old Angie Housman and 10-year-old Cassie Senter, the latter's body discovered in a trash-strewn vacant lot Thursday.

Separated by more than 2,100 miles, the incidents on the West Coast and Midwest stand as essentially local issues in whatever locale they are recounted. No community is without joyous and exuberant young people, and no community is without amazement that there are people capable of doing children harm. (It is ironic and sad that Cassie Senter will be buried today in our region, at a cemetery near Fredericktown; Gina Dawn Brooks lived in Fredericktown before vanishing on Aug. 5, 1989, from a street in that small town, never to be seen since. Gina was 13.)

Much talk goes around at times like this about what legal remedies might be pursued in order to better safeguard our children. In fact, the criminal justice system might take some steps that would be useful, such as ensuring that persistent offenders against society are kept behind bars; the suspect in the Klaas killing spent more than 15 of the last 20 years in jail for a wide range of crimes, several of them violent in nature. A system that kept better tabs on this man might mean Polly Klaus would be alive today.

Like so many things in life, however, government does not have a broad enough umbrella to protect all people from all bad things. Personal initiative and self-reliance are more useful attributes in guarding your family. Schools can pitch in with programs designed to teach the fundamentals of personal safety. Still, it is the parents' direct interest in this matter -- merely a heart-to-heart talk with a child -- that may have the most meaningful result. Tell them:

-- Don't talk to strangers.

-- Steer clear of dark and unfamiliar places.

-- If you feel uncomfortable with a situation, go immediately to a safer area and tell an adult.

-- Never let anyone inside your house without a parent's permission.

-- Don't answer the door if you're home alone. Never tell a caller that your parents aren't home.

-- Know the 911 procedure.

-- Memorize the home phone number and address.

These are common-sense rules that can be critical for a child's well-being. By the same token, they may not be enough: Cassie Senter carried with her a personal alarm device that she activated in the street. There is probably no more haunting aspect of her abduction than the fact she knew what was happening and was powerless to stop it.

In Cape Girardeau and Jackson and Anna and any neighboring town this day, parents might glance toward their children a bit more often as a result of recent events, reminded of the dangers that could be out there and the need of young people for protection. It is a difficult chore for any parent, trying to let young people know that life is indeed a splendid experience while expressing to them that terrible things can happen, things they should know about for their own good. Children, as is so often said, are our future, and their future is in our hands. The thing we need to do is prepare them as well as we can and hope for the best.