By Chief Steven J. Wojnar
Dudley Police Department National Missing Children's Day is held in the month of May. It is observed officially on May 25th. Since it was first established in 1983, National Missing Children's Day serves as an annual reminder that there are thousands of children who are still missing and stresses the importance of making child protection a national priority. This is a great opportunity for parents to discuss safety awareness with their children. There are many ways to begin discussions with your children on safety topics. One of the programs we have used in the past was "Take 25." This was a national child safety public awareness campaign created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It encouraged parents to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about safety and ways to prevent abduction. According to NCMEC, every year in America, an estimated 800,000 children are reported missing, more than 2,000 each day. Of that number, 200,000 are abducted by family members and 58,000 are abducted by non-family members, for which the primary motive is sexual. Each year, 115 children are the victims of the most serious abductions; they are taken by non-family members and either murdered, ransomed, or taken with the intent to keep. An analysis of attempted abduction cases by NCMEC found that in 84% of the cases, the child escaped would-be abductors through their own actions. Teaching children about safety works and saves lives. The National Center has rolled portions of "Take 25" into their overall national outreach with the "Be Here for Kids" campaign. Information may be found at http://www.missingkids.org/behereforkids. There are materials available to assist parents with these important conversations. The hope is some initial questions will lead to further dialogue about topics and issues which relate to each family's specific situation. The occasion of Missing Children's Day is a great opportunity for parents to have this meaningful discussion with their child. Children are exposed to a great deal of challenges, both in person and on-line. Any opportunity parents can utilize to discuss safety measures with their children is time well spent. Missing Children's Day is a chance for us to remember those who are still missing and take precautions to prevent future incidents. |
Thanks again for your questions and comments. Please send them to me at the Dudley Police Department 71 West Main St. Dudley, Ma. 01571 or email at swojnar@dudleypolice.com. Opinions expressed in this weekly column are those of Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted, do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any other organization or citizen.
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