NCJ Number
95792
Date Published
1984
Length
104 pages
Annotation
This guide covers major reasons why children disappear, safety rules that parents should teach their children, school programs, identification safeguards, and what to do if a child disappears.
Abstract
The initial chapters examine who kidnaps children and why, focusing on abductions by parents who have been denied custody and on child molesters. A discussion of runaways identifies danger signals exhibited by children considering running away and signals that parents may send unconsciously to their children that can be misunderstood as meaning 'we don't want you around.' Emphasizing that education is the first line of defense against child kidnapping, the book addresses broadening the definition of a stranger and ways to protect children at vulnerable sites like shopping areas, bus stops, and videogame parlors. The authors believe that every school should have an absence call and check policy to determine why a student is not in school. Safety rules for children at home alone are reviewed, as are neighborhood safety programs and babysitter selection. Parents are cautioned to take a mental picture of their child each morning and maintain a file with a current picture, description, and fingerprints. Actions to take if a child disappears and the proper role of the police department in missing children investigations are discussed. The book includes a 15-item resource list and sample child identification forms.