The RCMP are sharing alarming statistics to mark Missing Children’s Day.

The Mounties said between 40,000 and 50,000 children are reported missing in Canada every year. While 88 per cent are located within seven days, in some of these cases the children are never found.

The Manitoba RCMP shared tips Friday on how to keep kids safe from abductions to avoid similar cases.

- Encourage kids to use the buddy system;

- Speaks with kids about strategies that abductors use to lure children, such as looking for a lost pet or inviting them to play video games;

- Teach kids about strangers. Make sure they know they can’t go anywhere with anyone without a parent’s permission, even if it’s someone the child knows like a neighbor or a parent of one of their friends;

- Educate children about the importance of personal safety and making safe decisions, which includes running for help and calling police if they are being followed by a stranger, and shouting as loud as they can if someone attempts to take them against their will;

- Create a safety plan for large, busy places like a mall or an amusement park;

- Talk with kids about online safety.

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Police Service said that their missing persons unit works with Ground Search and Rescue, Air 1, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Street Reach Winnipeg, Child and Family Services, as well as other agencies to “deal with the complexities surrounding missing children cases.”