National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®
Know the Rules...Safety Tips For the
Holidays
1. When in a public facility always supervise your child,
and ALWAYS accompany your children to the restroom. Make
certain your children know to stay with you at all times while shopping
and aways CHECK FIRST with you or the other person in
charge before they go anywhere. It is important to know where your
children are and whom they are with at all times.
2. If children become separated from you while holiday
shopping, teach them to look for people who can be sources of help within
the store. For example, a uniformed law-enforcement or security officer,
store salesperson with a nametag, person with a nametag who is working at
the information booth, or a mother with children could be safe "helpers."
They should not leave the area, and they should NEVER
leave the mall or store and go to the parking lot to try and find their
car.
3. Make visits to the mall opportunities for your
children to practice these "safe shopping" skills. Teach them how to use a
public telephone; locate adult sources of help within the mall or a store
and, for older children, go to the restroom with a friend. Practice having
them CHECK FIRST with you before going anywhere within a
mall or store. Leave clothing with your children's names displayed at
home, as it can bring about unwelcome attention from inappropriate people
who may be looking for an opportunity to start a conversation with your
children.
4. Parents or guardians should not leave children alone
at public facilities such as video arcades, movie theaters, or playgrounds
as a convenient "babysitter" while they are holiday shopping. Never leave
children in a toy or specialty store expecting store personnel to
supervise and care for your children. They are not trained in this role,
and it is not a function of their employment.
5. If you allow your older children to go to the mall or
other activities without you, they need to TAKE A FRIEND.
It's more fun and much safer. Older children should check in with you on a
regular basis while they are out. Make certain a clear plan is in place to
pick them up including where, what time, and what to do in case of a
change in plans.
6. Nothing takes the place of your supervision when you
are in a public place with your children. If you are going holiday
shopping and feel that you will be distracted, make other arrangements for
the care of your children. It's easy for you and your children to get
distracted with all the sights, sounds and crowds of holiday shopping, so
make certain they stay with you at all times.
For more information about child safety call the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST®
(1-800-843-5678).
www.missingkids.com
Copyright © 1991 National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children. All rights reserved.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the national
clearinghouse and resource center funded under Cooperative Agreement
#98-MC-CX-K002 by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points
of view or opinions in this work are those of NCMEC and do not necessarily
represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of
Justice. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and
1-800-THE-LOST® are registered service marks of the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Federal Missing Child Acts
The Missing Children Act of 1982 (28 U.S.C. § 534 (a))
enables families to guarantee that information about their missing child
is properly entered into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI)
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system. If you have
doubts about whether the law-enforcement agency taking the missing-child
report has entered the information into the computer system, you have the
right to ask the FBI to verify the entry. If the case has not been
entered, ask the FBI to make the entry for you. You may also call the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to verify that the
correct information was entered into the NCIC system.
The Missing Children Assistance Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. §§
5771 et seq. as amended) mandates the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) to
provide certain services including the establishment of a toll-free
telephone line to receive information about missing and sexually exploited
children and provision of assistance to families and law enforcement in
the search for missing children. The National Center for Missing &
Exploited Children serves as the national clearinghouse and resource
center that carries out these mandates on behalf of DoJ with funding and
program coordination provided by DoJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention.
The National Child Search Assistance Act of 1990
(P.L.101-647) requires federal, state, and local law enforcement to enter
reports of a missing child who is younger than 18 years of age and
unidentified persons into the NCIC, and work cooperatively with the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on these difficult cases.
It also eliminates any waiting period prior to entry of this information
into NCIC.
Please understand and exercise your rights as stipulated by these Acts.
How NCMEC Can Help
After you have reported your child missing to local law enforcement, call
our toll-free telephone number. A Communications Specialist will take
information concerning your child, a Case Manager may be able to follow-up
with you and the law-enforcement agency investigating the case, and we may
be able to refer you to a support group in your community that can also
help.
For information on the services offered by our NCMEC branches, please call
them directly in California at 714-508-0150, Florida at 561-848- 1900,
Kansas City at 816-756-5422, New York at 585-242-0900, and South Carolina
at 803-254- 2326.
A number of publications, addressing various aspects of the missing- and
exploited-child issue, are available free of charge in single copies by
contacting the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s
Publications Department at
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Charles B. Wang
International Children’s Building 699 Prince Street Alexandria, Virginia
22314-3175
Another resource is When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide
(NCJ 170022). This book, written by searching parents and published by
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, explains the
role that various agencies play in the search for a missing child and
features helpful checklists. Copies are available by calling
1-800-851-3420 or visiting www.ncjrs.org.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children (NCMEC), established in 1984 as a private, nonprofit
organization, serves as a clearinghouse of information about missing and
exploited children; provides technical assistance to the public and
law-enforcement agencies; offers training programs to law-enforcement and
social-service professionals; distributes photographs and descriptions
about missing children worldwide; creates and coordinates child-protection
education and prevention programs and publications; networks with
nonprofit service providers and state clearinghouses regarding
missing-child cases; and provides information about effective legislation
to help ensure the protection of children per 42 U.S.C. §§ 5771 et seq.;
42 U.S.C. § 11606; and 22 C.F.R. § 94.6.
A 24-hour, toll-free telephone line,
1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), is available in Canada, Mexico, and the
United States for those who have information regarding missing and
exploited children. The “phone free” number when dialing internationally
is 00-800-0843-5678. The CyberTipline? is available worldwide for online
reporting of these crimes at www.cybertipline.com. The TTY line is
1-800-826-7653. The NCMEC business number is 703-274-3900. The business
number when dialing from other countries is 001-703-522-9320. The NCMEC
facsimile number is 703-274-2200. The NCMEC web-site address is
www.missingkids.com.
Copyright © 1985 and 2004 National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children. The National Center for Missing &
Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the national clearinghouse and resource
center funded under Cooperative Agreement #98-MC-CX-K002 from the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice
Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this
work are those of NCMEC and do not necessarily represent the official
position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children®, 1-800-THE-LOST®,
and CyberTipline® are registered service marks of the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
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National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®
Just in Case...Guidelines in case your child might someday be missing
The rising awareness of crimes that are being committed against
children—and of missing children in particular—has left many families
feeling vulnerable. It is important for families to be aware and alert,
but you and your child do not need to be afraid. You should, however, be
wary of gadgets and gimmicks that purport to protect your child or any
sort of data-collection or registration services that store information
about your child. To help ensure that others do not misuse this
information, you should be the only person to keep this information about
your child.
The most important key to child safety is effective communication with
your child. Remember, children who do not feel that they are listened to
or think their needs are met in the home are more vulnerable to abduction
or exploitation. The first step you should take is to establish an
atmosphere in the home in which your children feel truly comfortable about
discussing sensitive matters and relating experiences in which anyone may
have approached them in an inappropriate manner or a way that made them
feel uncomfortable. The simple truth is that children are often too afraid
or confused to report their experiences and fears. Allow them to talk
freely about their likes, dislikes, friends, and true feelings.
This brochure gives instructions about the actions you should take to
prepare for the remote possibility that your child may one day be missing.
It also provides instructions about the immediate actions you should take
when you believe that your child is missing.
Preparation
There are six steps that you should take now to be prepared in case your
child might someday be missing. Collecting the data described below will
help law enforcement search for and identify your child when he or she is
recovered.
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Keep a complete description of your child. This
description must include color of hair, color of eyes, height, weight,
and date of birth. In addition the descriptions should include
identifiers such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, braces on teeth,
pierced ears, and other unique physical attributes. The complete
description must be written down.
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Take color photographs of your child every six months.
Photographs should be of high quality and in sharp focus so that your
child is easily recognizable. Head and shoulder portraits from different
angles, such as those taken by school photographers, are preferable, but
make certain you have a photograph that most resembles your child.
Candid photographs may be more representative of how your child looks
than a posed shot.
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Have your dentist prepare dental charts and prints for your
child. Be sure the dental chart is updated each time an examination or
dental work is performed and dental prints are taken once every two
years until your child is 18 years old. Make sure your dentist
maintains accurate, up-to-date dental charts and X-rays for your child
as a routine part of his or her normal office procedure. If you move,
you should get a copy from your former dentist to keep yourself until a
new dentist is found. Make certain that the information is easily
accessible should you need it quickly. Also consider taking a bite
impression of your child’s teeth. Take a two-inch square of flat
material like Styrofoam? and have your child bite partially through it.
The bite should be strong enough to leave an impression of the upper and
lower teeth. A new bite sample should be made each time your child loses
or grows a tooth.
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Know where your child’s medical records are located.
Medical records, particularly X-rays, can be invaluable in helping to
identify a recovered child. It is important to have all permanent scars,
birthmarks, blemishes, and broken bones recorded. You should find out
from your child’s doctor where such records are located and how you can
obtain them if the need arises.
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Arrange with your local law-enforcement agency to have your
child fingerprinted. In order for fingerprints to be useful in
identifying a person, they must be properly taken. Your law-enforcement
agency has trained personnel to help ensure that the fingerprints taken
are useful. They will give you the fingerprint card and not keep a
record of the prints.
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Consider having a DNA sample taken from your child.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is rapidly becoming the “gold standard”
for identifications. There are many DNA collection kits available, but
it is simple for you to collect a sample. For example an old toothbrush
that has been used by your child is rich with his or her DNA. Allow the
toothbrush to air dry and place it in a brown envelope, have your child
lick the envelope shut, and label it. The same procedure can be used for
other samples such as baby teeth, an old hairbrush used exclusively by
your child for at least one month, and dried blood from a bandage. If
using a buccal-swab sample from the inside of your child’s mouth it is
important to follow the instructions to allow for the swab to dry prior
to storage.
As a family project make an identification box for each family member.
Each family member should use a separate shoebox. In each shoebox place
one family member’s fingerprints, extra dental X-rays and prints as
obtained from the dentist, a recent picture, and the DNA sample in
separate brown envelopes. Store the box at room temperature in a dry place
away from heat. The DNA sample should be good for up to six or seven
years.
Action
If you believe that your child is missing, it is critical that you act
immediately. If your child is missing from home, search
the house. You should check closets, piles of laundry, in and under beds,
inside old refrigerators—wherever a child could crawl into or hide and
possibly be asleep or not able to get out. Check with your neighbors and
friends of your child. If you still cannot find your child,
immediately call your local law-enforcement agency.
If your child disappears when you are away from home—on a shopping trip,
for example— notify the manager of the store or the security office and
ask for assistance in finding your child. Then immediately call law
enforcement. Many stores have initiated a plan of action if a child is
missing while shopping in their establishment, like Code ADAM started by
Wal-Mart® and used by retailers all over the country.
When you call law enforcement, try to stay calm. Identify yourself and
your location, and say, “Please send an officer; I want to report a
missing child.” You should give your child’s name, date of birth, height,
weight, and any unique identifiers such as eyeglasses, pierced ears, or
braces on the teeth. In addition you should tell them when you noticed the
disappearance and last saw your child. Knowing what clothing the child was
wearing when he or she disappeared will help. After you have reported your
child missing to law enforcement, listen to their instructions and respond
to their questions.
Any significant and unexplained deviation from your child’s daily routine
should prompt a timely law-enforcement response. This response may be
expedited if any of these circumstances exist. Your child is:
Request that your child’s name and identifying information be immediately
entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person
File. This ensures that any law enforcement agency in the country will be
able to identify your child if he or she is found in another community.
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