What can you do in 40 seconds? Pour a cup of coffee? FIND the TV remote?
In reality, in 40 seconds, your child can be GONE. A child is abducted every 40 seconds in the US startling statistics… NO parent has ever woken up and said “Today is the last time I’ll send little Suzie to school.” We become complacent in our surroundings. You might even hear other parents talking… ”That would never happen in our neighborhood.” Guess what? It DOES!
EVERY 40 SECONDS! Remember these important statistics, so that you may prevent this from happening to your child:
• The US Dept of Justice reports that over 800,000 children are reported missing every year. That is 2,185 children DAILY.
• Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child becomes missing or is abducted. Most of these cases are solved within a short period of time.
• Based on the identity of the perpetrator, there are three distinct types of kidnapping: kidnapping by a relative of the victim or “family kidnapping,” kidnapping by an acquaintance of the victim or “acquaintance kidnapping,” and kidnapping by a stranger to the victim or “stranger kidnapping.”
• Acquaintance kidnapping involves a higher percentage (comparatively) of juvenile perpetrators, has the largest percentage of female and teenage victims, is more often associated with other crimes (especially sexual and physical assault), occurs at homes, and has the highest percentage of injured victims.
• Stranger kidnapping victimizes more females than males, occurs primarily at outdoor locations, victimizes both teenagers and school-age children, and is associated with mostly sexual assaults in the case of girl victims and mostly robberies in the case of boy victims.
• In 80 percent of abductions by strangers, the first contact between the child and the abductor occurs within a quarter mile of the child’s home.
• Most potential abductors grab their victims on the street or try to lure them into their vehicles.
• About 74 percent of the victims of nonfamily child abduction are girls.
• One in five children 10 to 17 years old are the recipient of unwanted sexual solicitations online.
The time to be a parent is NOW! Take the time to address this growing problem, it is not going away, and as a responsible parent, it is your job to instill good habits in your child to keep them safe. Teach them:
1. To get permission from the person in charge before they go anywhere with anyone, even if they know the person.
2. If they do not get or have permission, they cannot go with that person.
3. If they do not have permission, and that person still tries to take them, they should “run, run, run, yell, and tell.”
4. They need to RUN away, kick, bite, scratch… Do anything it takes to get away if someone grabs them!
5. They need to YELL things like “This is NOT my daddy/mommy!” or “This person is trying to take me.” These phrases will get the attention of people nearby who will be able to help.
6. Then they need to TELL an adult they trust RIGHT AWAY.
7. Remember, seconds count! Always know where your children are, and who they are with. If they are going over to a friends house, have them call you when they get there. There is NO such thing as being ‘too safe\’
Check out more info at Liliguanausa.org