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.

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Between the lines

If you look at the statistics and read between the lines, is the breakdown between a parent and child’s trust or communication the real issue?

NCMEC’s Online Victimization Report (bolded items). The italicized items are the between the line observations.

• One in five children online is sexually solicited.
  (80% of children online have not been sexually solicited)


• One in thirty-three received an aggressive sexual solicitation—a solicitor who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone; sent them regular mail, money, or gifts.
  (3% of those on-line have received an aggressive sexual solicitation)


• One in four had an unwanted exposure to pictures of naked people or people having sex in the last year.
  (75% have not had an unwanted exposure)


• About one quarter of the youth who encountered a sexual solicitation or approach told a parent.
  (75% of youth who encountered a sexual solicitation or approach did not tell a parent)


• Almost 40 percent of those reporting an unwanted exposure to sexual material told a parent or guardian.
  (60% of those reporting an unwanted exposure to sexual material never told a parent or guardian)

Not so prime numbers....

I was reading this article dated June 23, 2006 about a Springfield, MO based company Prime Inc., one of the nation's largest truckload carriers, and their announcement that it has joined the AMBER Alert Highway Network, an initiative to help recover abducted children.

In the bottom of the article, there is a blurb about the NCMEC….
“…Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 119,800 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 102,200 children….”

If they have assisted in 119,800 cases with 102,220 recoveries, wouldn’t the recovery rate percentage be 85% and not the 96% they claim?

NCAA...stats..

North Carolina Amber Alerts statistics.

Few dispute the overall value of Amber Alerts. This article discusses the technology and a case that could have used it back in 1966. In the article there is a quote from Cathy Nahirny, who's been with the NCMEC for 16 years.

“…Between 1997 and 2005, 275 Amber Alerts were issued, Nahirny said. Of 338 children shown in those alerts, 335 were recovered; 322 of them were fine. Thirteen died…”

The question I would have is if you view juvenile statistics for North Carolina for the same period, you may wonder if enough Amber Alerts were issued as there were 64,465 missing juveniles over the same timeframe.