Thursday, May 25, 2006
Today is National Missing Children's Day...
On May 25, 1979, Etan Patz disappeared from a New York City street on his way to school. Even before cases of missing children routinely garnered national media attention, Etan’s case quickly received a lot of coverage. His father, a professional photographer, disseminated black-and-white photographs of Etan in an effort to find him. The massive search and media attention that followed focused the nation’s attention on the problem of child abduction and lack of plans to address it.
For almost three years national media attention was focused on Atlanta, Georgia, where the bodies of young boys and girls were discovered in lakes, marshes, and ponds along roadside trails. By the time a suspect was arrested and identified in 1981, 29 bodies were recovered. The suspect was apprehended, convicted, and is now serving a life sentence in prison.
On July 27, 1981, 6-year-old Adam Walsh disappeared from a Florida shopping mall. His parents, John and Revé Walsh, immediately turned to law-enforcement agencies to help find their son. To their disappointment, there was no coordinated effort among law enforcement to search for Adam on a state or national level, and no organization to help them in their desperation.
The tragedies of these children and others exposed a fundamental flaw. There was no coordinated effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement; no national response system in place; and no central resource to help searching families. When it came to handling missing-children cases, the United States was a nation of 50 states often acting like 50 separate countries.
The momentum that began with the disappearance of Etan, Adam, and the 29 missing and murdered children of Atlanta led to photographs of missing children on milk cartons and, ultimately, a nationwide movement. In 1983 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 National Missing Children’s Day. Each administration since has honored this annual reminder to the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families and make child protection a national priority.
National Missing Children’s Day is a reminder to all parents and guardians of the need for high-quality photographs of their children for use in case of an emergency, and for the need for everyone to pay close attention to the posters and photographs of missing children.
Most victims of child abduction are victims of opportunity. The NCMEC gives the following tips to help lessen the opportunity for child abduction and better safeguard children:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and 1-800-THE-LOST® are registered service marks of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
May 25th is Nation Missing Children's Day and is promoted by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
- More than 2,000 children are reported missing every day.
- More than 58,000 children are abducted by non-family members every year.
- 1 out 5 kids is sexually solicited online yet only 1 in 4 will tell their parents or guardians.
- There are more than 560,000 registered sex offenders in the United States and at least 100,000 are "missing," that is, law enforcement does not know where they are.
On May 25, 1979, Etan Patz disappeared from a New York City street on his way to school. Even before cases of missing children routinely garnered national media attention, Etan’s case quickly received a lot of coverage. His father, a professional photographer, disseminated black-and-white photographs of Etan in an effort to find him. The massive search and media attention that followed focused the nation’s attention on the problem of child abduction and lack of plans to address it.
For almost three years national media attention was focused on Atlanta, Georgia, where the bodies of young boys and girls were discovered in lakes, marshes, and ponds along roadside trails. By the time a suspect was arrested and identified in 1981, 29 bodies were recovered. The suspect was apprehended, convicted, and is now serving a life sentence in prison.
On July 27, 1981, 6-year-old Adam Walsh disappeared from a Florida shopping mall. His parents, John and Revé Walsh, immediately turned to law-enforcement agencies to help find their son. To their disappointment, there was no coordinated effort among law enforcement to search for Adam on a state or national level, and no organization to help them in their desperation.
The tragedies of these children and others exposed a fundamental flaw. There was no coordinated effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement; no national response system in place; and no central resource to help searching families. When it came to handling missing-children cases, the United States was a nation of 50 states often acting like 50 separate countries.
The momentum that began with the disappearance of Etan, Adam, and the 29 missing and murdered children of Atlanta led to photographs of missing children on milk cartons and, ultimately, a nationwide movement. In 1983 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 National Missing Children’s Day. Each administration since has honored this annual reminder to the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families and make child protection a national priority.
National Missing Children’s Day is a reminder to all parents and guardians of the need for high-quality photographs of their children for use in case of an emergency, and for the need for everyone to pay close attention to the posters and photographs of missing children.
Most victims of child abduction are victims of opportunity. The NCMEC gives the following tips to help lessen the opportunity for child abduction and better safeguard children:
- Teach your children to run away from danger, never toward it. Danger is anyone or anything that invades their personal space. If someone should try to grab them, tell them to make a scene; loudly yell this person is not my father/mother/guardian; and make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting. Their safety is more important than being polite. Teach your children that if they are ever followed in a vehicle to turn around and run in the other direction to you oranother trusted adult.
- Never let your children go places alone, and always supervise your young children or make sure
there is a trusted adult present to supervise them if you cannot. Make sure your older children always take a friend when they go anywhere. - Know where your children are and whom they are with at all times. Remind children never to take anything or respond in any way if approached by someone they don’t know. Teach them to run away as quickly as they can to you or another trusted adult.
- Talk openly to your children about safety and encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult if anyone or anything makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Discuss security issues with your children so they will understand the need for precautions. Advise your older
children about steps they may take to help safeguard themselves. Know your children’s friends and their families. Pay attention to your children and listen to them. If you don’t, there’s always someone else who will. And others may have ulterior motives for befriending your children. - Practice what you teach by creating “what if” scenarios with your children to make sure they understand the safety message and can use it in a real situation.
- Consider installing an alarm system in your home with a monitoring feature. Make sure your home is secured with deadbolt locks, and ensure landscaping around it doesn’t provide places for people to hide. Check other access points such as gates, and make sure they have been secured. Consider installing exterior lighting around your home. Make sure your home is fully secured before you go to sleep and items such as ladders have been stored inside. Prepare a plan to vacate your home in case of any emergency. This should include but is not limited to a fire. Have a plan if an intruder tries or gets into your home.
- Make your children part of securing your home. If you have installed an alarm system, demonstrate it to your children and show them how to make sure doors and windows are locked. This will not only help calm their fears but will also help make them part of your “safety plan” at home.
- Have a list of family members who could be contacted in case of an emergency. Designate a
family member or close associate who would be able to fill the role of advisor in case of an emergency. - Be alert to and aware of your surroundings. Know the “escape routes” and plan what you would do in different emergencies. Practice “what if” scenarios, so you will be well prepared. Know the location of local hospitals and best routes to take to reach them. Know how to reach the nearest local lawenforcement agency or sub-station.
- Know your employees and coworkers. Do background screening and reference checks on
everyone who works at your home, particularly those individuals who care for your children. Their knowledge of your family is extensive so make sure you have an equivalent understanding of whom they are. - Consider varying your daily routines and habits. Do not take the same routes or go at the same
time on your regular errands. If you take your children to school, change that route as well. - Take steps to secure personal information about yourself. Consider getting a post office box and registering everything you may there including your vehicles and drivers’ licenses. Have personal bills sent to your place of work or the post office box. Be discreet about your possessions and family’s personal habits and information.
- Report any suspicious persons or activities to law enforcement. If you feel you or your children have been targeted or are being stalked, immediately report this information to law-enforcement authorities. Do not wait.
- Remember you are your best resource for better safeguarding your family. Do not become complacent about personal security issues.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and 1-800-THE-LOST® are registered service marks of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 3:52 PM 
