European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Child abduction growing up in a dangerous world by Leslie Dreyfous the associated press he Roll Call of recent cases is grim Laura 15, of Pasadena calif., last seen by her Boyfriend getting onto a bus at the Plaza Pasadena mall on dec 20. Dianna 14, of Puyallup wash., missing since Jan. 3, last seen leaving Home on her Way to school. David 17, of Vestavia Hills ala., car found abandoned 300 Miles from Home on Jan. .21. Brandon 3 months old of Pflugerville Texas last seen with a Day cafe provider Jan. 21 neither has been seen since. Two Hundred to 300 children fall prey annually to the kinds of abductions most commonly in the news those committed by strangers Over some period of time and distance and involving a Ransom note or murder according to the National Center for missing and exploited children. When the definition is broadened to include Shorter term abductions the number rockets to 3,200 to 4,600 a year a Justice department report says. The tally is constantly ticking higher often unnoticed. But when a bearded intruder stole a Little girl named Polly Klaas from her comfortable Middle class Northern California Home he also stole from parents around the country the sense that if nowhere else their children at least were Safe at Home. The Case was especially riveting because 12-year-old Polly should have been firmly on the Safe Side of the line Between everyday risk and nightmarish reality. She was not snatched while wandering aimlessly in a mall or off the streets Long after dark. She was not alone or unattended. She was in the midst of a slumber party in her own bedroom Steps away from her mom. Trie drama surrounding Polly s Case was Only heightened this Winter by a seeming spate of similarly High profile cases one girl then another abducted and murdered in St. Louis and the arrest of a Massachusetts Man in the slaying of one Young boy and the attend Ted abduction of a girl. The risks children face have seemed to spiral out of control. These Are scary times we live in said Nancy Mcbride of the Adam Walsh Center a children s advocacy in West Palm Beach fla., named in the memory of an abducted child. " but we need to put it in perspective. People should t be paralysed by still though the list of missing children is always too Long and the dangers Are real the perception that Kidnap murders Are on the Rise is not borne out by the numbers which have held fairly steady Over recent years. The More startling number perhaps is 1.5 million. That s the Overall estimate for children missing in America the smallest subset of which is abducted by strangers. Lost and runaway children make up the largest portion followed by those abducted by family members and finally throwaways kids whose caretakers Tell them to leave turn them away or otherwise make no Effort at recovery. Add to these the incidence of abuse injury and murder that so Many children suffer at the hands of family members in their own Homes and the portrait is Bleak. Still for the average Parent the Story of a child snatched randomly strikes a particular chord. It s hard to Tell kids they re Safe at Home when they bring up Polly Klaas said Mcbride. But the likelihood of that happening to a child is about As great As getting struck by lightning. It could happen again Don t get me wrong. But it Likely that a child will be enticed or seduced into a relationship by a teen age girls Are the most common victims of abduction by strangers two thirds of which involve sexual assault. Black and hispanic children Are represented in disproportionately High numbers. For All the Media attention which has helped in recovering abducted children the number of cases remain fairly steady because kidnappers Are most often driven by sexual impulse said Ben Ermini director of Case management at the missing children s Center in Washington there is a definite danger out there said Ermini a former Yonkers n.y., police officer. But we Don t want to scare children to death. The important part is that parents be aware and take the necessary Steps and time to sit Down with their children and advise rather than worry about a kidnapper coming into their Homes parents should prepare their children for the passing Motorist the artful lure or stranger s temptation experts agree. The Good news is that an estimated 114,600 abduction attempts Are averted each year. Some parents have equipped their children with personal beepers or personal .alarms.".1- a device did t save Cassidy Senter a Young girl who vanished while on her Way to string Christmas lights at a Friend s Home near St. Louis. Her alarm was found cast off still wailing. Not Long after that her body was found in a litter strewn lot not far from her suburban Home real lesson to be Learned from cases like Cassidy Senter s and Polly Klaas advocates say is just How valuable awareness and education can be. No neighbourhood watch or electronic device can replace solid safety rules and emergency strategies for children. The Polly Klaas Case in particular has brought a tremendous amount of awareness to the problem Ermini said. This is an area where we can fight Back. And i think it s an area where we re six year old Annie Nichol sits alone during a memorial service for her sister potty Klaas. Training kids that being polite is not always right Byeff Donn the associated press outside a beaming Sun casts a Luminous cordon on the grounds around the Namuag school in Rutland mass. Inside a third Grade class is learning a lesson on the dark Side of life. Guidance Counselor Ann Phelan is quizzing the 8 year Olds on personal Protection. She s trying to get across the idea of the buddy if somebody is going to try to steal you it s easier to steal one than to steal two pipes up a redheaded girl with a Pony Tail and Mickey mouse earrings. This Public school in Rutland is one of hundreds across the country making classroom time for lessons on avoiding abduction and abuse. The Wisdom often run counter to those of a More innocent Day when kids were told Don t be a tattletale or always obey schools have Long taught Young children rudiments of personal safety like what to do in a fire or when they Are lost. Now educators and police talk about crimes like kidnapping and sexual abuse in the classroom As Well. The response of being called after an assault. Does t work said Marie Kenny a state police trooper who is working on developing a Domestic violence Pilot program for Junior High schools. Take a look at the newspapers every Day. Talk to police officers. The level of crime against children today it s outrageous said David Shapiro education director at the National Center for missing and exploited children. We teach children without thinking twice How to Cross the Street safely. I think it s about time we took the Issue of personal safety and put it on the educational in collaboration with digital corp., the missing children s Center based in Arlington va., has developed one of the most widely used elementary curricula to teach children How to avoid kidnapping sexual abuse or other physical mistreatment and what to do if trouble finds them anyway. Kids and company together for safety was introduced in 1988 with support from John Walsh now the Host of America s most wanted. His own 6-year-old son Adam was abducted from a Florida shopping mall and killed in 1981. Walsh wants All schools to be required to teach skills that he believes might have saved his own son. We think we compromised him very very much by teaching him to. Be a Little gentleman Walsh said. We did not teach him you have the right to say no " kids and company which includes training for teachers and parental support material is now taught by schools and Community groups in More than 30 states. Sometimes it is donated with funding from corporate and other private sponsors sometimes schools buy the package at a one time Price of $45 per Grade level. In the Central Massachusetts town of Rutland Phelan a former social worker began teaching it to third graders last year. They study safety once a week for five or six weeks during half hour Breaks in regular classes. Prev nor a mcgruff., Symbol of the National crime prevention Council in addressing a group of children. The children watch videos color work sheets sing songs and play roles that teach Basic safety skills such As checking with a guardian before going away with anyone even someone familiar. Walsh said roughly 70 percent of crimes against children Are committed by someone they know and Trust. The program also urges children to be a tattletale if a baby Sitter wants to play a secret game. It teaches them How to assert themselves in a positive Way. It teaches that it s of not to be polite Phelan said. It s sort of a reversal of the Way we were brought one Case of child abuse that Drew a lot of attention in Massachusetts was one that involved James Porter a former Catholic priest who admitted in court that he had molested 28 children while serving in parishes in the Southeastern part of the state in the 1960s. If this program had existed in the schools that those adults attended As children it might have been a Little different said Suzin Bartley director of the children s Trust fund which sponsors kids and company in Massachusetts. Program sponsors and educators say they Are Well aware they must strike a delicate balance Between putting children on guard and frightening them. You can t let every child go out of Here thinking every Uncle is evil and every touch is a bad touch said Charles Varjian principal at Namuag. Tips from the police protecting your child rules for avoiding abduction the recent kidnappings and killings and the series of child molestation incidents in the . Have focused parents concern on their children s safety. Molesters can strike anywhere but usually follow patterns. Parents by working with their children can substantial reduce the chances of victimization. Broaching the subject safety rules reassurance assure your children that they can be Safe if they follow some simple rules and form Good habits. The main thing for them to remember i never to go anywhere with anyone without your permission. Openness ask them to always confide in you even if the subject feels uncomfortable. Strangers teach your children that thereat 90pd strangers and bad strangers. For example police officers Sale clerks and teachers Are people children should seek out if they Are in trouble. Secrets there Are Good secrets and bad secrets include an adult telling a child not to Tell that he offered Candy to go in his car or that he touched a child in a private place. Profile of a molester among the several types of child molesters Are non family members who engage in Force or violence against a child such As kidnapping or rape. These suspects Are almost always recidivism rate of child molesters is among the highest of All crimes. How victim is chosen the typical child molester seeks vulnerable children he tends to gravitate to places where he can observe Manychildren. These include schools playgrounds movie Heaters Arcade Pulte rat rooms libraries paries and Public swimming po6b.w�&. O who is at risk Hermay a liars certain Type of child but will not confine himself to that Type if he has a better Opportunity to attack others on the Street have your children walk or play with other children or trusted adults. Establish a Call Back routine with your school Tollert you if your children do not report for class. Do not allow your children to walk outside after dark. Adopt a family code word. Instruct your children never to go with an adult who does not give the codeword. Tell your children not to get into a car with stranger. Teach children to walk against traffic if allows them to easily see a car stopping near them. Tell your children to run or yell if someone tries to Force them to go somewhere. Never let a stranger photograph your children without your permission. Instruct children to Tell you if they have been approached by a stranger. In the House keep your doors locked even during the Day. Many molesters simply walk in. Do not open door for strangers and instruct your children not to Tell anyone at the door that they Are answering the phone your children should not give any information to strangers. Teach your children How and when to use emergency phone numbers and How to use a Public them what to do if you become separated especially in a crowd. They should seek help from people such As an usher police officer or sales Erk. They should stay in one place if they get lost. You May also want to give your children a whistle to signal for help. Encourage your children not to keep secrets from you. I someone has been bothering them but has not tried any overt acts you need to know about it. Importance of practice play roles with your children to teach them How to respond. I property prepared they can automatically take the right action if in danger. It is important to keep up these practice sessions a children get older. For example a 9-year-old May forget or ignore what he or she knew at age 7. Source a Angstat police department Rebecca Perry / to Angola time via 16 the stars and stripes saturday february 5,1994 the stars and stripes 17
