usmcsis's Diaryland
Diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Missing Kids Day
today is national missing kids day. i know it's a little late in the day, but i guess it's really never too late... all information is from the national center for missing and exploited children website.
How many missing children are there?
According to a study called The National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, released in 2002, an estimated 797,500 children were reported missing; 58,200 children were abducted by nonfamily members; 115 children were the victims of the most serious, long-term nonfamily abductions called "stereotypical kidnappings"; and 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
Aren�t most missing kids a result of custodial disagreements?
The largest number of missing children are "runaways"; followed by "family abductions"; then "lost, injured, or otherwise missing children"; and finally, the smallest category, but the one in which the child is at greatest risk of injury or death, "nonfamily abductions." Many times this question is asked under the assumption that family abductions are not a serious matter; however, this is not true. In most cases children are told that the left-behind parent doesn�t want or love them. These children may live the life of a fugitive, always on the run with the noncustodial parent and stripped away from their home, friends, school, and family.
How many missing children are found deceased? What hours are most critical when trying to locate a missing child?
According to a 1997 study by the State of Washington�s Office of the Attorney General �the murder of a child who is abducted ... is a rare event. There are estimated to be about 100 such incidents in the United States each year, less than one-half of one percent of the murders committed�; however, �74 percent of abducted children who are murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction.�
How big of a problem is child sexual exploitation?
The sexual victimization of children is overwhelming in magnitude yet largely unrecognized and underreported. Statistics show that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood, yet less than 35% of those child sexual assaults are reported to authorities.
How many children are sexually approached and/or solicited online?
According to Highlights of the Youth Internet Safety Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice �one in five children (10 to 17 years old) receive unwanted sexual solicitations online.�
Do the cards I get in the mail really help recover missing children?
Absolutely. One in six of the missing kids featured on these cards and through the efforts of other NCMEC photo partners are recovered as a direct result of the photograph. In fact, because of the ADVO� mailing, NCMEC reaches up to 79 million homes weekly with the photographs of missing children.
How can I help find missing children?
The best way to help NCMEC is to take the time to look at the photographs of missing children in the many venues, including ADVO postcards, at Wal-Mart� stores, in federal buildings, and report any information about those children to NCMEC�s toll-free Hotline 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). You can also help by keeping up-to-date photographs of your own children. After all, one out of six of the children featured in this NCMEC's photo distribution program has been recovered as a direct result.
i don't know about anyone else but i totally used to throw those missing children postcards in the trash as soon as i got in the house with the mail. but a couple of years ago i read an article about the NCMEC in a magazine and i've been an advocate ever since.
so i'm totally off my soapbox now, happy hump day, toodles
10:22 pm - 25 May 2005
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
previous - next
|