ACT IMMEDIATELY if you believe that your child is missing.

Download the Quick Reference Guide for Families in English or Spanish.

What to Do:

• If your child is missing from home, search the house checking closets, piles of laundry, in and under beds, inside large appliances, and inside vehicles, including trunks—wherever a child may crawl or hide.

• If you still cannot find your child, immediately call your local law enforcement agency.

• If your child disappears in a store, notify the store manager or security office. Then immediately call your local law-enforcement agency. Many stores have a Code Adam plan of action— if a child is missing in the store, employees immediately mobilize to look for the missing child.

• When you call law enforcement, provide your child's name, date of birth, height, weight, and any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed that your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing.

• Request that your child's name and identifying information be immediately entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File.

• After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on our toll-free telephone number: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Or you can use our Live Hotline to talk to NCMEC through our web site.

 

 

 

Information from the SLED website on how the AMBER Alert system works:

Background:

In 1996, the AMBER Alert emergency broadcast program was created and named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Texas. Shortly after this incident, residents of her Arlington, Texas hometown requested that radio stations in that area broadcast special "alerts" when such incidents took place in the future.

The AMBER Plan is now in place in many communities across the country and is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters. This plan is designed to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases. This is the same concept used during severe weather emergencies.

The goal of the AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe return of the child. Statistics continue to prove that time is our greatest adversary when a child is abducted. According to a study by the United States Department of Justice, 74 percent of the children who were kidnapped and later found murdered were killed in the first three hours after being taken.

Creating the South Carolina AMBER Alert system is an effort to enhance law enforcement’s ability to respond to child abductions, to quickly enlist assistance from communities, and to hopefully result in the quick and safe recovery of abducted children.

The Alert mechanism is a cooperative effort between South Carolina law enforcement personnel and South Carolina broadcasters, and allows for the quick dissemination of an urgent bulletin in child abduction cases. Radio and television stations, under the South Carolina AMBER Alert system, will immediately interrupt their regular programming to broadcast information about a child’s abduction. The quick dissemination of this information is critical in the effort to save the lives of abducted children.

When to Activate the South Carolina AMBER Alert:

As soon as an abduction is reported and the investigation reveals the following:

• The law enforcement agency believes that the child has been abducted (taken from their environment unlawfully, without authority of law, and without permission from the child's parent or legal guardian).
• The child is 17 years old or younger, and the law enforcement agency believes the child is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death; or if the individual is 18 years old or older, and the law enforcement agency believes the individual is at greater risk for immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death because the individual possesses a proven physical or mental disability.
• All other possibilities for the victim's disappearance have been reasonably excluded.
• There is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the victim, suspect, or vehicle used in the abduction.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT send an AMBER Alert if you respond NO to ANY of the above statements.

How to Activate the South Carolina AMBER Alert:

• Each law enforcement agency will designate two to three ranking officers who will have the sole authority to evaluate the investigating officer's report regarding the abduction.
• When the chief, sheriff, or designee of each department determines that the case meets the criteria for activation of the South Carolina AMBER Alert plan, they then call SLED Headquarters/Chief Robert Stewart at the South Carolina Clearinghouse at (800) 322-4453 and report the abduction (only AMBER Alert designated officers may activate the plan).
• The chief, sheriff, or designee then must fax the completed South Carolina AMBER Alert Notification Form and a photograph of the victim to (803) 896-7041 (see attached forms).

Agencies’ Responsibilities upon Activation of the South Carolina AMBER Alert:

• The Chief of SLED or his designee will disseminate the South Carolina AMBER Alert Information Form by fax and e-mail to radio and television stations designated by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, and the Associated Press Control Bureau for South Carolina, which will be asked to provide this information as well for their broadcast wires in North Carolina and Georgia, due to the overlap of broadcast coverage.
• SLED will notify all South Carolina law enforcement agencies via BOLO, and will contact the South Carolina Department of Public Safety at (803) 896-4644, the South Carolina Department of Transportation at (803) 654-7437, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (803) 551-4200.
• SLED will notify all Agents of the South Carolina AMBER Alert.
• The South Carolina Department of Public Safety will notify State Troopers of the South Carolina AMBER Alert.
• The South Carolina Department of Transportation will activate traffic advisory signs in various locations throughout the state with South Carolina AMBER Alert information for up to eight hours after the Alert is initiated.
• Following this activation process, the public will be notified by the news media of the South Carolina AMBER Alert every 15 minutes for the next 3 hours. After eight hours from the time the alert begins, any updates/cancellations (see attached update/cancellation forms) should be made directly to the South Carolina Clearinghouse at 1-800-322-4453.
• In the event a citizen sees the child, abductor, and/or vehicle fitting the South Carolina AMBER Alert description, they should immediately call 911 with that information and the location.
• The agency receiving this information will then contact the initiating agency with this citizen-supplied information.
• At the conclusion of an AMBER Alert, the Chief of SLED or his designee will fax and e-mail a formal close to the alert to all radio and television stations, the Associated Press Control Bureau for South Carolina, all South Carolina law enforcement agencies via BOLO, and will contact the South Carolina Department of Public Safety at (803) 896-4644, the South Carolina Department of Transportation at (803) 654-7437, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (803) 551-4200.

 

 

Guidelines from the take25 website

At Home

1. Teach your children their full names, address, and home telephone number. Make sure they know your full name.

2. Make sure your children know how to reach you at work or on your cell phone.

3. Teach your children how and when to use 911 and make sure your children have a trusted adult to call if they’re scared or have an emergency.

4. Instruct children to keep the door locked and not to open the door to talk to anyone when they are home alone. Set rules with your children about having visitors over when you’re not home and how to answer the telephone.

5. Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Once you have chosen the caregiver, drop in unexpectedly to see how your children are doing. Ask children how the experience with the caregiver was and listen carefully to their responses.

On the Net

6. Learn about the Internet. The more you know about how the Web works, the better prepared you will be to teach your children about potential risks. Visit www.NetSmartz.org for more information about Internet safety.

7. Place the family computer in a common area, rather than a child’s bedroom. Also, monitor their time spent online and the Web sites they’ve visited and establish rules for Internet use.

8. Know what other access your child may have to the Internet at school, libraries, or friends’ homes.

9. Use privacy settings on social networking sites to limit contact with unknown users and make sure screen names don’t reveal too much about your children.

10. Encourage your children to tell you if anything they encounter online makes them feel sad, scared, or confused.

11. Caution children not to post revealing information or inappropriate photos of themselves or their friends online.

Going to and from School

12. Walk the route to and from school with your children, pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they’re being followed or need help. If your children ride a bus, visit the bus stop with them to make sure they know which bus to take.

13. Remind kids to take a friend whenever they walk or bike to school. Remind them to stay with a group if they’re waiting at the bus stop.

14. Caution children never to accept a ride from anyone unless you have told them it is OK to do so in each instance.

Out and About

15. Take your children on a walking tour of the neighborhood and tell them whose homes they may visit without you.

16. Remind your children it’s OK to say NO to anything that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused and teach your children to tell you if anything or anyone makes them feel this way.

17. Teach your children to ask permission before leaving home.

18. Remind your children not to walk or play alone outside.

19. Teach your children to never approach a vehicle, occupied or not, unless they know the owner and are accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult.

20. Practice “what if” situations and ask your children how they would respond. “What if you fell off your bike and you needed help? Who would you ask?”

21. Teach your children to check in with you if there is a change of plans.

22. During family outings, establish a central, easy-to-locate spot to meet for check-ins or should you get separated.

23. Teach your children how to locate help at theme parks, sports stadiums, shopping malls, and other public places. Also, identify those people who they can ask for help, such as uniformed law enforcement, security guards and store clerks with nametags.

24. Help your children learn to recognize and avoid potential risks, so that they can deal with them if they happen.

25. Teach your children that if anyone tries to grab them, they should make a scene and make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting.

For additional information go to take25.org

 

 

This "Family Survival Guide" provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered.

The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.

Click link below for prefered format:

When Your Child is Missing - PDF Version (Best for Printing) (3.72 MB)

When Your Child is Missing - HTML Version (20.93 KB)

Si su hijo o hija desaparece - PDF Versión en Español (1.79 MB)

"What About Me? Coping with the abduction of a brother or sister" is a publication effort of those who have lived the nightmare of losing a sister or brother.

Eight siblings joined with the Office of Justice Programs to write this guide. During its creation, these siblings spoke eloquently and from their hearts about the need for a resource for left-behind children whose needs are often overlooked.

At the time of the abduction, these siblings said they felt isolated and overwhelmed by their emotions. They rarely found the support they needed to deal with the gaping loss they faced. Their determination to prevent other young people from experiencing this trauma is to be applauded. In every page of this guide, their compassion shines through.

Click here to download the Guide (PDF 6.8 MB)

 

 

 

 

What is Human Trafficking?

Trafficking victims, trafficking in persons, or human trafficking—is a form of modern-day slavery. Traffickers often prey on individuals who are poor, frequently unemployed or underemployed, and who may lack access to social safety nets, predominantly women and children in certain countries.

Victims are often lured with false promises of good jobs and better lives, and then forced to work under brutal and inhuman conditions. Trafficking victims includes men, women, and children, some forced to work in the sex trade, but also forced into labor situations such as domestic servitude, labor in prison-like factories, or migrant agricultural work.

Definition of "Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons" as defined by the Act:

a) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or

b) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Definition of Terms Used in the Term "Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons":

"Sex trafficking" means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

"Commercial sex act" means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

"Involuntary servitude" includes a condition of servitude induced by means of (a) any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person did not enter into or continue in such condition that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or (b) the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

"Debt bondage" means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal services or of those of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

"Coercion" means (a) threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; (b) any scheme, plan or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or (c) the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

To learn more visit:

• USDOJ - Office for Victims of Crime
• USDOJ - National Criminal Justice Reference Service
• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Human Smuggling:

Human smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person(s) across an international border, in violation of one or more countries laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents.

Often, human smuggling is conducted in order to obtain a financial or other material benefit for the smuggler, although financial gain or material benefit are not necessarily elements of the crime.

For instance, sometimes people engage in smuggling to reunite their families. Human smuggling is generally with the consent of the person(s) being smuggled, who often pay large sums of money. The vast majority of people who are assisted in illegally entering the United States are smuggled, rather than trafficked. Smuggled persons may become victims of other crimes.

In addition to being subjected to unsafe conditions on the smuggling journeys, smuggled aliens may be subjected to physical and sexual violence. Frequently, at the end of the journey, smuggled aliens are held hostage until their debt is paid off by family members or others. It is also possible that a person being smuggled may at any point become a trafficking victim.

The Immigration and Nationalization Act, Section 274(a)(1), (2), provides for criminal penalties under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324, for acts or attempts to bring unauthorized aliens to or into the United States, transport them within the U.S., harbor unlawful aliens, encourage entry of illegal aliens, or conspire to commit these violations, knowingly or in reckless disregard of illegal status.

To learn more visit:

• Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
• Migration Policy Instute
• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

 

 

If you suspect a future problem with a family-related abduction:

• Ensure that your custody order specifies with whom the child is to reside at specific times and restricts removal from the state without prior consent from the judge.
• Flag the child’s passport if one exists, or ask passport control not to issue one if one is requested. Also contact the State Registrar in the state where the child was born and ask that a flag be placed on the child’s birth certificate. This flag will activate if a request is made for a copy of child’s birth certificate or if any requests for information on the child’s birth certificate is requested.
• Notify schools, day care centers and baby sitters of the custody orders. Give them copies and ask to be alerted if the non-custodial parent makes an unscheduled visit to the facility.
• If the non-custodial parent lives in another county, state or country, file a certified copy of the custody decree there. This will notify the court in that jurisdiction that a valid decree has already been issued and must be honored.
• Also consider filing a copy of the decree in any foreign countries in which the non-custodial parent has close friends or relatives.