Missing Kids: Family Abductions

Most people think of kidnapping as an act committed by strangers, but the Department of Justice reports that over 200,000 children a year are abducted by family members. The experts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) remind us that a family abduction can have very devastating effects on a child. It’s important to take precautions and prepare against it if you think you are at risk.

Typically, a family abduction is provoked by a situation where parents have separated or divorced, or due to conflicts over child support or custody.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do everyday to help prepare and prevent this type of abduction from happening.

• Talk to your kids every day and reassure them that you love them.
• Make sure your kids know they can feel comfortable talking to you about their concerns; parents shouldn’t focus on abduction fears.
• Be prepared by keeping up to date descriptive information about your children handy, such as recent photographs and video, fingerprints, medical & dental records.
• You should also keep the identifying details for your family member handy, including social security number, license plate number, or any thing else you think might help law enforcement could track them down.

Check out NCMEC’s website and check out the information they have on family abductions, and for more tips on how you can protect your kids.