Child Abduction: Protecting Your Child at School Bus Stops
The best protection for a child at a school bus stop
is a vigilant parent.
In today's world of dual working parent families, a parent waiting
at the bus stop with a child is not always possible.
Each year in the United States, between 1.3 and 1.8 million children
are reported missing. These children may be kidnapped, lost, or
runaways. Some children are taken by a non-custodial parent. Still
others disappear with few clues as to the reason.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
points out that, in many cases, an abductor is not a stranger to
the child. So, while the warning to "stay away from strangers" is
good advice, it provides very limited protection. Children are
more often abducted or exploited by people who have some type of
familiarity with them, but who may not be known to the parents.
NCMEC explains that the term "stranger" misleads children
into believing that they should only be aware of individuals who
have an unusual or slovenly appearance. Instead, it is more appropriate
to teach children to watch out for certain situations or actions,
rather than certain kinds of individuals.
There are generic steps you can take to minimize the chances of
your child being abducted. Experts recommend that you teach your
child the following:
-
Her full name, address, including city, state
and zip code; phone number, including area code; parents' names,
work addresses, and
phone numbers.
-
How to use both a push button and rotary-dial
telephone.
-
How to make an emergency call to you or for
help from a pay phone.
-
How to make a long distance call (both directly
to you using the area code, and by dialing "0" for
the operator).
-
Never tell anyone over the phone that she
is home
alone, and NEVER open the door to strangers
when she is home
alone.
-
Never to go into anyone's home without your
permission. Children should learn whose homes
they are allowed
to enter.
-
Never to look for you if she becomes separated
from you while shopping or in a public
place. Instead, to go to
the nearest checkout counter,
security office, or lost and found, and
tell the person in charge that she has lost his
mom or dad
and needs
help in finding them.
And, she should never go to a parking lot
without you.
-
Walk and play with others and to use the
buddy system. If your child walks to
school, have
her walk with
other children. A child
is most vulnerable when alone.
-
Adults do not usually ask children for
directions or help, but should be asking
other adults.
If someone in
a car should stop
to ask for directions, they should
not go near the car.
-
If someone is following her on foot
or in a car, to go to a place where
there
are other
people--to
a neighbor's
home or into a store,
for instance--and ask for help. She
should not go near the car to talk
to anyone
inside and should
not try to
hide behind bushes.
-
No one should ask her to look for
a "lost puppy" or
tell her that either of her parents
is in trouble and that he will
take
her to mom or dad.
-
To never go near a car with someone
in it or to get into a car without
your
permission. Your child
should
learn
in whose car he
is allowed to ride. Warn your
child that someone
might try to lure him into a
car by claiming you said to pick
him up; tell him never
to obey such instructions. Instead,
he should
go back to the school for help.
Share a code word
with your child
known only among family
members. Stress to your child
that anyone offering a ride unexpectedly--even
a
family friend-will
have been
given the code word in advance.
-
To never to tell anyone over
the phone that she is home
alone.
-
To never to answer the door when
home alone. Remind your child
to talk through
a door
or window to
anyone delivering
a package,
and to tell the person to leave
the package at the door. Teach
your child
how to
call your community's
emergency
assistance number
(often 911). Make sure he knows
a neighbor to call if someone
tries to get into
the house or if there
is any
kind of emergency.
-
To tell you if any adult asks
her to keep a "secret."
-
To tell you if someone offers
him gifts, money, drugs,
or wants to
take his
picture.
-
That no one should touch
her in any part of her
body covered
by
a bathing
suit.
She should
not
touch anyone
in those areas either.
Explain to her that the
body is special and private.
-
To yell, "This is not my parent!" if someone
tries to take her away.
-
To ask your permission to
leave the yard or to go
to a neighbor's
house.
Older
children should
phone
home
to tell you where they
are, especially if they
change locations.
-
To never hitch hike or
get a ride with anyone,
unless
you
have told
him it
is okay to accept
the ride.
-
To come home before dark.
-
To avoid dark or abandoned
places.
-
To avoid adults
who are waiting
around
a playground--particularly
an adult
who wants
to play with
them and
their friends.
-
To ask anyone
who drives
him anywhere,
not to
leave him
alone in the
car--but if
he is alone in a
car,
to put
up the windows,
leaving
a "finger" space
between the
window glass
and the rim,
and to lock
the doors and
stay near the
car horn. If
a stranger
approaches
the car, he
should blow
the horn until
help arrives.
-
That she has
the right
to say, " NO" to anyone
who tries
to take her somewhere, touches her, or makes her feel uncomfortable
in any way.
Protecting
Your Child
At School
Bus Stops
-
Work with other parents to have children
walk to bus stops and wait in groups. Use the "buddy system" whenever
possible.
-
Create a Safe Walking Plan with your
child using the safest and most direct path to the
school bus stop.
-
Establish "Safe Houses" along
the route to the bus stop that your child can go to
if approached while walking to the bus
stop.
-
Keep an updated color photograph of
your child in a packet along with medical and dental
records and your child's fingerprints.
-
Avoid clothing and toys with your
child's name on them.
-
Notify you before leaving for the
bus stop.
-
Never go into a house unless your
have given your child
permission to use the house as a "Safe House".
-
Tell you if they feel scared, uncomfortable
or confused about waiting for the school bus.
-
Tell the school bus driver if they
are approached while waiting at the bus stop.
-
Tell the school bus ramp administrators
if they are approached while waiting at the bus
stop.
-
That NOISE is his/her best defense – yell, scream,
shout, scatter books and belongings if they are being
forced into a car.
-
Move away from any vehicle that pulls
up to the bus stop.
-
Never accept a ride to school if they
are waiting at the bus stop.
-
Follow the Safe Walking Plan and never
to use shortcuts through empty parks, alleys, fields,
etc. They should
avoid empty
buildings and isolated areas.
-
Run home or to a designated safe house
if they are close to home and approached while walking
to the bus
stop.
-
Write a license plate number in the
dirt if nothing else is available and they are
safely
away from
danger.
Child Abduction Safety Measures: What You Should Know as a Parent
Parents can take steps to prevent abductions and to
assist the police and others in locating a missing child:
-
Never leave a child unattended; never leave a child alone in a
car.
-
Know your child's friends and their
parents. Be involved in your child's activities.
-
Listen when your child tells you he
or she does not want to be with someone; there may
be a reason you
should know about.
-
Notice when someone shows your child
a great deal of attention and find out why.
-
Be sensitive to changes in your child's
behavior or attitudes.
-
Encourage open communication. Never
belittle any fear or concern
your child may express
to you.
-
Keep a complete description
of your child, including
hair and
eye color,
height, weight,
date of birth,
and other identifying characteristics
(such as glasses, braces,
pierced ears, birth marks).
-
Take a photograph of your
child every six months
(four times
a year for children
under age two).
Head-and-shoulder
portraits taken
from different angles
(like school pictures)
are preferable.
-
Know where your child's
medical records
are located (and learn
how to access
them should
the need arise).
These records could
contain valuable
information to help identify your
child.
-
Make sure your
dentist keeps
up-to-date dental
records of
your child.
If you move, get a
copy of your
child's dental records.
-
Have your child's
fingerprints
taken by
your local
police
department. Do
not attempt
to
make these
prints
yourself; police
are trained
to do this.
They will
give you the fingerprint
card but
will not
keep
a record
of it. Keep in
mind that
fingerprinting
is not
a primary tool when
searching
for and
identifying missing children.
However,
if the
child is too young
or can't
identify him or herself,
prints
can confirm
identity.
-
Have a
set
plan outlining
what
your
child should
do
if you
become
separated
while
away
from home.
-
Do
not buy
items that
have your
child's name
on them
such as
hats, jackets,
and T-shirts.
It is
an easy
way for
an abductor
to learn
your child's
name and
start up
a friendly conversation.
-
Make
a game of
reading license
plate numbers.
By learning
the various
numbers and
state colors
your child
will be
able to
recognize license
plates.
-
Be
sure their
day care
center or
school will
not release
children to
anyone but
their parents
or someone
designated by
their parents.
Instruct the
school to
call you
if your
child is
absent.
-
National
Center for
Missing and
Exploited Children
(NCMEC) recommends
that children
not take
self-defense training
(such as
the martial
arts) for
the sole
purpose of
thwarting an
abduction. Young
children, in
particular, should
not attempt
to defend
themselves in
this manner.
However, the
martial arts,
or other
methods of
self-defense, can
help a
child develop
self-confidence and
athletic ability.
-
Be
leery of
gadgets and
gimmicks that
purport to
protect your
child.
What
to Do
if Your
Child Is
Missing
Below are recommendations from The National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children and the National Crime Prevention Council
on steps to take in the event a child is missing.
-
Act immediately.
Search your house thoroughly,
including closets, piles of laundry,
in and under beds, old, stored,
refrigerators,
or wherever a child might hide, fall asleep, or
get trapped.
-
If you still
haven't found your child, think
where
he or she could
have gone. Check with your neighbors, your child's
friends and school; if you are
divorced, call your ex-spouse.
-
If you still
haven't found your child, call
the police and start
procedures immediately. Provide as much precise
information as possible, including
the clothing your child was
wearing when he
or she disappeared. If your child is under
13 years of age, is mentally incapacitated,
or drug dependent, police
response
may
be expedited.
-
Make sure the
police put information about your
child into the National Crime
Information
Center
(NCIC) Missing Persons File to
ensure that any law enforcement agency in
the country will be able to identify
your child.
If your local police refuse to do this,
the FBI will enter your child's name into
the NCIC computer. There is no
waiting period for
entering a child's information and this
entry will not give your child a police record.
-
After you have
notified your local police,
also call The National Center for Missing
and Exploited
Children's toll-free hotline to
report your child missing. One of their
technical advisors may be able
to follow up with you
and the police department during
the investigation. Call 1-800-843-5678;
TDD Hotline (for the hearing impaired),
1-800-826-7653.
These
numbers are also for use by any
person who has information on a missing
child.
-
Look for clues
at home that may help you to find
your child. Check your child's
room for
notes,
letters, or missing clothing. Check
your telephone bill: Are there any unfamiliar
long-distance calls that may indicate
where
your child might have gone. Request duplicate
bills if necessary.
-
Look for clues
in your neighborhood. Ask the
postal carrier, local storekeepers,
building employees,
and anyone who might have been
on the street and seen your child;
check
arcades
and "hangouts;" inform
area hospitals, drug-treatment centers
and children's shelters that you are
looking for a missing child.
-
Look for clues
at your child's school. Speak
to teachers, the principal, the
guidance counselor; talk to your
child's
friends
and
enlist
their help.
-
Check
out all areas of your child's
life: adults, peers,
clubs, your
church or
synagogue. Talk
to any adult your child might
have looked up to. Explore
any interests
or activities that your child
pursued that
would introduce
him or her to new people.
Tell everyone and anyone that
your
child is missing
and ask for their help.
-
Canvass distant
friends and relatives to whom
your child might have gone.
-
In urban areas,
have searches made of locked or
generally inaccessible
areas,
such as
roofs, basements, and garages.
-
Alert the police
of any bus and train terminals,
airports, any
parkways,
and national parks
near your home, particularly
if your child might try to
reach a
divorced
parent, camp friend, or favorite
vacation area.
-
If there had
been tension between you and your
child, tell friends,
neighbors,
relatives,
and authorities who may speak
to him, to convey a message
of love,
and that
you
only want him to return home
safely.
-
If your child
calls, communicate love and concern
for her
safety--not fear,
and not
anger about
the past.
Publicize your
child's disappearance: make flyers
with the child's
recent, clear photograph
attached,
along with a description
that includes sex, age,
height, weight, eye and
hair color,
any identifying
marks
or scars,
and details
of clothing and jewelry
when last seen. At the
top of
the
flyers
should be
the heading "Missing" or "Have
You Seen This Child" in
bold letters. Give the
name and phone number
of a law enforcement
office that can receive
calls around the clock.
Post these flyers in
store windows,
at shopping malls--anywhere
you can. Enlist the support
of local newspapers and
television
stations, and drop off
or mail flyers to all
area hospitals and other
treatment centers.
If you employ a private
investigator, get references
and check
them carefully. Call
your state's
licensing bureau, the
Better Business Bureau,
and your
local or state consumer
protection agency regarding
the investigator's
standing.
-
One video tape
on preventing child abuse which
you
may want to rent
or buy is "Strong Kids, Safe Kids." This
tape is available at
some video rental stores
and libraries. There
may
be other tapes you
might want to view
with your child to
explore these sensitive
topics; we recommend
previewing any tape
before
watching it with your
child to determine
if it is age appropriate.
-
Many businesses
and organizations print
pictures of missing
children along
with pertinent
descriptive information
on product packages
and
public
signs. Milk
cartons, shopping
bags,
billboards, subway
and truck posters,
and newsletters
are all used to
alert the public
to missing children.
The National Center
for Missing and
Exploited Children
coordinates these
efforts and supplies the pictures
and information
to
interested
companies and organizations.
-
-
Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention: http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
This site offers a wide variety of free,
downloadable publications
on Missing and Exploited Children
|
