One minute she’s there and the next she’s gone. It is indeed every parent’s worst nightmare not to know where their child is, or what’s happened to her.
Child abductions are in the news after the abduction of three-year-old Madeleine McCann in Portugal recently.
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Sometimes kids are never found, as in the case of Etan Patz who was abducted in New York in 1979. His father spoke of “the crime that had a beginning, but no end.”
Here are some facts on kidnapping and abductions. And also some hints on what parents can do to prevent these from happening.
There are basically three types of abductions: the first is when a stranger takes a child away for criminal purposes (such as sexual assault or ransom – the latter would be classified as a kidnapping in South Africa); the second is when a child is stolen to be brought up by the abductor; the third is when a parent removes a child from the other parent’s care.
The following things classify an abduction as a kidnapping: the child is detained, taken away some distance from where it was abducted, and is held for ransom money. Or the child is taken in order to keep it permanently.
Kidnapping for ransom (of both children and adults) is most common in countries with a high crime and corruption level, a poorly resourced police force, a weak judicial system, and a history of social or political instability, according to a study conducted in South Africa for the Institute for Security Studies.
According to the law in South Africa, kidnapping is a separate crime from abduction. Abduction is defined as the unlawful taking of a minor from the control of their parent or guardian for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse.
The Gauteng police deal with over a dozen kidnappings for ransom each month, according to the study mentioned above. Most of these kidnappings involve children.
In the case of parental abductions, the parents are usually involved in a custody battle. Children are almost never harmed in these abductions, and according to studies, the vast majority of them are returned to the rightful parent within a week.
When children are kidnapped, statistics reveal that over 40% of the incidents end with the death of the child.
Fifty-three percent of non-family abductions are committed by people known to the victim, according to NISMART (National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children – an American organisation). A study of theirs also found that three-quarters of non-family abductions are committed by men. These men often had brief contact with the child, such as delivering something to the house, or doing minor repairs.
Seventy-one percent of non-family abductions occurred in outside areas, such as a wood, a park or in the street, according to NISMART. Very few abductions take place from school grounds or shopping centres.
The average age of a male abductor is 27, and he is usually unemployed, working in a low-skilled job, living alone, or with his parents, according to a study conducted by OJJDP (the American Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention).
The vast majority of children who are reported missing have run away, or there has been miscommunication with the parents about where they should be.
About two-thirds of stranger abductions involve female children with an average age of 11.
Preventing abductions
Sometimes children of the most vigilant parents are kidnapped. No parents can look after a child all the time, but there are things parents can do to minimise the chances of something such as this happening. Your best ally is your child.
The South African police give the following advice to parents:
Your children should always check with you before they go anywhere or get into a car – even with someone they know.
You should know where your children are at all times.
Children should not accept gifts or favours from anyone without checking with you first.
Your children should not go alone to places, especially unknown ones. They should always take a friend with them.
Your children should know your address, your home telephone number, your cellphone number and your work number.
Children should be very wary of anyone who approaches them with job offers or requests for help.
Children should feel that they can tell parents if something has happened to them that made them feel scared or confused or uncomfortable.
Children, who are old enough to stay at home on their own, should never let on to strangers that there is no adult present.
It is important to have a recent clear photograph of your child. This will help the police and the public search for your child if he/she goes missing.
Further advice from kidshealth.org states the following:
Check who your kids are talking to online. Online stalking of children happens.
Children should be taught to run away and scream if someone follows them or tries to force them into a car.
Have a plan of action in place for when a child gets lost in a public place.
Make it very clear to your child whose cars they can get into – anyone not on that list is out of bounds until they have spoken to you.
Children should not wear clothing on which their names are boldly displayed – they will respond to their name even if it is a stranger calling them.
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