These are some recent posts on another blog I have. The How Dangerous Is Childhood, is reprinted with the permission of Nicole Neal of the Palm Beach Post.
Recent Posts:
Goose and the Gander
How Dangerous Is Childhood?
How Dangerous Is Childhood (con’t)
How Dangerous Is Childhood (con’t)
How Dangerous Is Childhood? (final)
Match game
Let your fingers do the walking
Horse of a different color?
Lost and Found
It is better to give than to receive
Monday, August 21, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Innocence lost
Adam Walsh’s childhood wasn’t the only one that ended 25 years ago.
Childhood - and parenthood - would never be the same.
On Aug. 10, 1981, the severed head of the South Florida boy was found in a canal in Vero Beach.
If a 6-year-old could be taken from a mall after being out of his mother’s sight for just minutes; if he could be murdered and decapitated; if his killer could elude authorities, then our world must be a truly dangerous place for children.
It’s an understandable response to what was surely one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.
But the fallout - a culture of parental paranoia that has become the norm today - may be just as tragic.
The casualties, beyond the death of one innocent little boy, are many:
The death of simple childhood pleasures.
The death of peace of mind.
The death of common sense.
The death of self-sufficiency.
Read more When a child goes missing
Childhood - and parenthood - would never be the same.
On Aug. 10, 1981, the severed head of the South Florida boy was found in a canal in Vero Beach.
If a 6-year-old could be taken from a mall after being out of his mother’s sight for just minutes; if he could be murdered and decapitated; if his killer could elude authorities, then our world must be a truly dangerous place for children.
It’s an understandable response to what was surely one of the most horrific crimes of the 20th century.
But the fallout - a culture of parental paranoia that has become the norm today - may be just as tragic.
The casualties, beyond the death of one innocent little boy, are many:
The death of simple childhood pleasures.
The death of peace of mind.
The death of common sense.
The death of self-sufficiency.
Read more When a child goes missing
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Horse of a different color
Watching Dateline, The Worst Predator, on August 11, 2006, two people immediately came to mind. The story was about Dean Arthur Schwartzmiller, a suspected child molester. He is thought to be the most prolific child molester of all time.
John Larson started his article with a couple of observations.
For generations parents have warned their children about “the stranger”: Don’t take candy, accept a ride, or even talk to somebody you don’t know.
But what if that somebody is a family friend? Somebody parents know and trust?
The two people who came to mind were Peter Whitmore and Mary Kay Latourneau.
John Larson started his article with a couple of observations.
For generations parents have warned their children about “the stranger”: Don’t take candy, accept a ride, or even talk to somebody you don’t know.
But what if that somebody is a family friend? Somebody parents know and trust?
The two people who came to mind were Peter Whitmore and Mary Kay Latourneau.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Deion Santistevan
Deion Santistevan was found shot to death after police heard gun shots while trying to negotiate with his father. They were in an apartment in Denver acording to this article .
It doesn’t mention if they were located as a result of the Amber Alert.
It doesn’t mention if they were located as a result of the Amber Alert.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Colorado Amber Alert
After an alleged assault of the mother of his child, Elias Santistevan, 22, kidnapped his son, Deion Sanstivensan. The assault and kidnapping happened around 3 p.m. Sunday but the Amber Alert wasn't issued until after midnight on Monday.
Is an Amber Alert still effective if it is issued over nine hours after an abduction?
According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation one of the purposes for issuing an Amber Alert is to rapidly disseminate information.
Is it effective if it is activated and de-activated during the search efforts?
Multiple Amber Alerts have been issued recently in the efforts to recover Daniel Jimenez, and Elian Majano both still missing. They were also issued multiple times in the abduction of Destiny Norton.
Amber Alert Process
Once law enforcement has been notified about an abducted child, they must first determine if the case meets the AMBER Plan criteria:
Is an Amber Alert still effective if it is issued over nine hours after an abduction?
According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation one of the purposes for issuing an Amber Alert is to rapidly disseminate information.
Is it effective if it is activated and de-activated during the search efforts?
Multiple Amber Alerts have been issued recently in the efforts to recover Daniel Jimenez, and Elian Majano both still missing. They were also issued multiple times in the abduction of Destiny Norton.
Amber Alert Process
Once law enforcement has been notified about an abducted child, they must first determine if the case meets the AMBER Plan criteria:
The child must be 17 years of age or younger
The child must be in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death
There must be enough descriptive information to believe a broadcast will assist or aid in the recovery
The activation must be requested by a local local law enforcement agency or AMBER Designee from another state.
To rapidly disseminate information about a suspect and child to law enforcement agencies and the public when a child has been abducted
To gain the assistance of thousands of television viewers and radio listeners throughout the coverage area
To coerce the kidnapper to release the child for fear of arrest
To deter persons from commiting the crime
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Out of sight out of mind?
Are there enough resources being devoted to runaways?
The media is filled with sensational stories concerning abducted children. Stories of runaways rarely are published or in some cases even addressed by law enforcement. However, the number of runaways far exceeds the number of abducted children.
Many also become victims but, the main difference is the runaway’s fate may never be included in missing child statistics. You can argue they place themselves in danger by running away but you can argue, in some recent child abductions, they too were placed in danger by their actions.
The California Department of Justice reported 112,015 missing children (runaways) in 2005 and 524,262 in the period of 2001-2005.
Read more
The media is filled with sensational stories concerning abducted children. Stories of runaways rarely are published or in some cases even addressed by law enforcement. However, the number of runaways far exceeds the number of abducted children.
Many also become victims but, the main difference is the runaway’s fate may never be included in missing child statistics. You can argue they place themselves in danger by running away but you can argue, in some recent child abductions, they too were placed in danger by their actions.
The California Department of Justice reported 112,015 missing children (runaways) in 2005 and 524,262 in the period of 2001-2005.
Read more
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Hold the bacon
Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances with no more than five intermediaries.
Let’s put this theory to the test by examining HR 5319 which is a bill introduced to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.
This immediately brings to mind MySpace which some consider the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends and discovering popular culture. MySpace, a $580 million acquisition, is a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc. Fox is part of “The News Corporation”.
Rupert Murdoch has grown “The News Corporation” into one of the largest and most influential media groups in the world. The company owns some of the largest and most popular brands in many areas of the media industry including: 20th Century Fox, Fox Television Studios, DIRECTV, Harper Collins Publishers, Festival Records and the New York Post.
“I’m a catalyst for change … You can’t be an outsider and be successful over 30 years without leaving a certain amount of scar tissue around the place.” Rupert Murdoch
One of Fox’s television programs is America’s Most Wanted, AMW, which is hosted by John Walsh. His hard work and determination helped to pass the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984 which created National Center for Missing and Exploited Children NCMEC which now serves as the national clearinghouse for information on missing children and the prevention of child victimization.
On June 21, 2006, the NCMEC praised MySpace’s for its new enhanced safety features.
“We know that children can benefit greatly from being online,” said Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). “We commend MySpace for adding new safety and security features that will help provide protection to their youngest members, so they can have a safer online experience.”
By a vote of 410 to 15, the US House of Representatives passed yesterday H.R. 5319 “Deleting Online Predators Act” (DOPA), which amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require schools and libraries receiving federal money to protect minors from commercial social networking websites. Social networking sites such as MySpace.com may soon be inaccessible to minors from libraries and schools receiving federal funding.
The NCMEC receive approximately $35 million annually in federal funding, in part to protect children from being exploited.
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