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Steps To Prevent A Parent’s Worst Nightmare — A Missing Child
It’s the stuff of nightmares — one moment, you
and your family are enjoying the holiday you’ve all been waiting for;
the next minute, you realize your child has disappeared. You search
everywhere you can think of, but no one’s seen
anything or seems to know what to do - and you start to panic… Another more disturbing possibility is abduction. The most common scenario is abduction by family members, particularly parents. Unfortunately, in a world where divorced and estranged parents are often fighting bitterly for custody of their children, a ‘vacation’ can sometimes seem like the perfect time for a kidnapping. This is actually a fairly small risk: according to the (United States) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, only 2 percent of total children abducted by family members are snatched while the family is on vacation, but for parents in such a situation, it is another worry on their shoulders.
Precautions
to take against losing a child
‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’ can be a dangerous thing to teach a child, as they’ll they’ll be inhibited from looking for aid from potential helpers, or delay help getting to them. More useful would be to teach them to safely ask for help,. You may need to coach them on who and how to ask, as many child ‘freeze up’ when they are asked to approach strangers. When they are really lost however, it helps if they have had practice doing so. Teach kids to seek help from a person in a uniform (preferably one wearing a name tag, badge, or photo ID) or a mother with kids. If you can, rehearse this until they are comfortable doing it, and you are sure you can trust them to choose a responsible person to approach for help.
A child isn’t always completely clueless — sometimes, they can feel for themselves if that ‘helpful stranger’ is more than what he seems. If the child feels uncomfortable with someone, make sure he knows its all right not to accept help from them. This may require some coaching, as it often clashes with what they are taught are, in normal situations, considered good manners.
Adults who lure children are very manipulative and may try to get your child to go voluntarily, perhaps by offering food or asking for help to find a lost pet. As a general rule, tell your child not to go with any adult who asks for help, as adults will normally only ask other adults for help. Teach your children to keep their distance and to attract as much attention as they can if the adult tries to force them away. Children should try to run away - always toward people - and tell a trusted adult as soon as possible.
Having your child memorize your cell phone number, the hotel name and other contact details is a good start, but shouldn’t be depended on, as some children may become too distressed to recall the information when they’re lost. As a backup, list your child's name, your name, your cell phone number, and telephone numbers for the hotel a card and put it in a waterproof bag and then a pocket, shoe tag or a neck pouch worn under a shirt. You can also buy an identity bracelet (or a dog tag like soldiers wear) and have them wear it.
Teaching your child to call 911, or the local equivalent, in an emergency may be the quickest way to get him back. Being lost, separated or in an unsafe situation are all legitimate uses of 911. In most cases, the caller’s location can be traced and the child quickly retrieved.
You’ll find them, not they find you. If the child is a little bit older and you are confident they have a fairly good sense of direction, you can both study a map of your destination online or in a brochure, mark help centers such as tourism offices and police booths and pick an emergency meeting spot. Make sure your child carries a marked copy of the map or brochure.
Teaching children basic security habits while in hotel rooms is a great safeguard against a stranger entering. Tell them not to open the door for anyone they don't know--even if the person says they're from the hotel. Instead they should check first with a parent or, if need be, call the front desk. Make sure they know how to do so. Once you’re on holiday, there are also a number of things that you as a parent can do to help prevent any incidences and aid a rescue effort.
This is the single most important document you will need if you have to look for a missing child. Passersby will recognize a picture faster than a description, and if the police are called in, the first thing they’ll want is a good picture to help their efforts. It’s also a good idea to carry copies.
Though many people consider hotels and resorts ‘safe’ places, they are in reality still public spaces. Hotels and resorts are also getting bigger and bigger, so its easy for a small child to get lost. Use family rest rooms, if available.
Bright, easy-to-spot-and-remember outfits are great making your child stand out in a crowd. Better yet, your entire family might wear similar color shirts or caps. Don't put names on the outside of clothing though, where a strainger can see it. Include enough change for a pay phone.
Some family phone planes multiple phones for a lower price, shared minutes between users, and sometimes unlimited calling between phones. On the pricey, high-tech end is a global positioning system Personal Locator Watch that pinpoints a child's location via satellite. The emergency button relays a child's call for help via a cellular-based transmitter. Depending on either technical marvel can be risky however — the child may have lost it, or have it taken away, so its best to use them as a supplement to good, ingrained rules.
There have been cases of children drowning and going missing unnoticed even at pools with lifeguards, simply because of the sheer amount of activity in the area. Older children entrusted with watching younger kids are easily distracted. Also, teach kids to keep their room key wrapped in a towel or inside a pocket. They should never tell anyone their room number, though older kids may do so if they have room service privileges.
Amusement parks are huge places, and these devices can be a handy, fun way of keeping tabs on your kids. They are useful for smaller areas, but reception isn’t always clear and should not be depended on to take the place of parental supervision and sound rules. If the absolute worst should happen and your child is missing, there is still hope. One of the best sources of information on what to do is When Your Child Is Missing, A Family Survival Guide, which can be read on the website (http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/204958/contents.html) of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The guide covers everything from what to do when you first discover your child is gone, to dealing with the law enforcement officer, media involvement, offering monetary rewards and other issues. The information is targeted for an American audience, but most of the information is relevant to worried parents everywhere. Particularly useful is the Checklist: What To Do When Your Child Is Missing(http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/204958/introck.html), which is a practical guide to necessary steps to take within the first 48 hours of discovering the disappearance. For parents — or anyone — worried about this scenario, a look through the website is strongly recommended.
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