Steps to take if your child becomes a runaway or has been abducted

The following is from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

When your child becomes a runaway the following are steps that you should immediately start.

• Remain calm
• Check with your childs friends, neighbors,relatives,or anyone else who they might know.
• Call or visit the places that your child frequently visits.
• Report the runaway to your local law enforcement.
• Call your local runaway hotline or contact the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800621-4000 they may be able to give you more assistance and advice.
• Keep track of everyone that you have talked to.
• Make sure that law enforcement enters your childs name and description into the National Crime Information Center's Databases. This will be accessable to other law enforcements agencies accross the country. You can also contact the nearest FBI field office for help.
• If it has been a day or two start making posters or fliers. Place them in store windows, truck stops, youth-oriented businesses, hospitals, law-enforcement agencies and local spots that your child may frequent.

Recheck with your child's friends, school, neighbors, and if they are employed, their employer.
If you have reason to believe your child has been abducted do not disturb or remove any of your child's items before law enforcement arrives. Key clues could be disturbed or destroyed. DO NOT DELAY IN CONTACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN ALL OF THE FACTS LEADING TO THE BELIEF THAT YOUR CHILD IS AN ABDUCTION VICTIM,

• Provide a recent photo of your child.
• There is no wating period for reporting a child missing to law encorcement or for entry into the National Crime Information Center Database.

Tips for kids at home

Many children stay home alone for long periods of time during the summer. Here are some things to teach your children:


1. Provide telephone numbers for your children to reach you. Advise co workers your children may check-in.
2. Teach your children how and when to call 9-1-1.
3. Teach children not to open the door to others with out your permission.
4. Teach children to never let a person at the door or on the phone know that they are home alone.
5. You might consider getting caller ID and screen your calls.
6. If your trusted neighbors will be home during your absence, arrange for your children to check-in with them.
7. Teach children how to escape in case of fire and designate a meeting place.
8. Determine which household appliances you want your children to use.
9. Provide activities and chores for your children to help keep them busy.

Online Tools to Discover Where Sexual Predators and Criminals Live in Your Neighborhood

Parents, teachers and other guardians who are concerned about the safety of their children can often reduce the risks their children face by educating themselves as to where sexual predators and criminals reside in their neighborhoods. Registered sex offenders are listed in a national and/or state database, available to the public online, as well as on criminal background check websites. Listings usually include their full name and home address, letting parents type in their zip code and find out which homes in their neighborhood conceal potential threats to their children. Here are several online tools that can be used to search for sexual predators in your area.


Family Watchdog: Family Watchdog maintains that “awareness is your best defense.” Users can search multiple states at once if they want to search by location. The site also lets users search by name if they are trying to track down a particular offender. In addition, this site posts information about food and drug recalls and product recalls.

CriminalCheck.com: Search by name or zip code at CriminalCheck.com to find registered sex offenders in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. If users search by zip code, they can view a map of their area that pinpoints the exact location of sex offenders.

FamilyBeacon.com: This site gives a history of sex offender laws in addition to providing a comprehensive search. Users who suspect their neighbor of being a sex offender can type in their name or address to find out if they are listed. Otherwise, users can search by zip code or city.

National and Governmental Sites
These websites are organized by national and/or governmental agencies, making your search more official.

National Alert Registry The motto of the National Alert Registry is to “be aware, be alert, be safe.” Currently, the registry includes over 500,000 listings that include names, addresses and even photos of the sex offenders. Users can register their neighborhood or area of interest with the registry to receive RED ALERTs by e-mail whenever a new name is added.

Megan’s Law Nationwide Registries and Links: This page features a Megan’s Law Report Card, which grades states on how accessible they make sexual predator information to the public and on the number of registrants vs. the number of actual offenders. The site also displays links to sex offender registries by state and provides users with an easy way to report child pornography.

Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry: This website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice and lets users search for violent sex offenders who may prey on adults as well as children. There is also a search for general sex offenders who have a criminal past with minors. Users can search by region, state, zip code, name or conduct a nationwide search.

Teaching a child to use 9-1-1

Parents can use the following safety tips to teach their children the proper way to use 9-1-1 to report emergencies:

• Never say "nine eleven." There is no eleven on a telephone keypad or dial. Always say "nine-one-one."
  
• Always call from a safe place. If there is a fire in the house, get out first and then call.
  
• Post your address near the phone. Be ready to give your name, address and telephone number.
• Tell the person who answers what is wrong. Follow their instructions and don't hang up unless they tell you to.
  
• Never call 9-1-1 as a prank or joke. You can get into trouble and keep someone who really needs help from getting it on time.
  
• 9-1-1 is not for animal emergencies.
• Call 9-1-1 if you see a fire, accident, when someone is very sick or hurt, if you see a crime.
  
• Call 9-1-1 if you think you have an emergency and explain the situation to the dispatcher.
  
• If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, don't hang up. Explain the mistake to the dispatcher and say there is not emergency.
• Tell your child that it is ok to call 9-1-1 if they are lost, and that they can use a payphone and that they don't need money to call 9-1-1.

SHARE THE ROAD

TURN LEFT

TURN RIGHT

STOP


Cyclists
On the Road
The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists
Obey all traffic control devices
Use hand signals to indicate stops and turns
Always wear a properly fitting helmet-no matter how short the trip!
Ride on the right
Always ride in the same direction as traffic
Be Predictable!
Ride in a straight line
Don't swerve in the road or between parked cars
Check for traffic before entering street or intersection
Anticipate hazards and adjust your position accordingly
Be Visible
Wear brightly colored clothing that provides contrast
Use a white front light in low light conditions
Use a red rear light in low light conditions
Use a reflector or reflective tape or clothing anytime
Make eye contact with motorists before crossing paths

MOTORISTS
Drive Cautiously
Be aware of the cyclists' vulnerability
Reduce speed when encountering cyclists
Don't tailgate
Recognize hazards cyclists may face and give them space
Yield to Cyclists
Bicyclists are considered vehicles
Cyclists should be given the appropriate right of way
Allow extra time for cyclists to traverse intersections
Be Considerate
Scan for cyclists in traffic and at intersections
Avoid blasting your horn in close proximity to cyclists
Look for cyclists before opening doors
Watch for Children
Children on bicycles are often unpredictable and harder to see!
Expect the unexpected and slow down
Don't expect children to know traffic laws

Bully

Who is a bully? A bully is someone male or female, that repeatedly harms another person by purposely making them feel uncomfortable, hurting them by hitting,pushing,kicking or tripping, name calling or spreading rumors or making menacing gestures, even leaving someone out of an activity. Bullies are usually physically, or socially stronger than the person that is being bullied.

Why people bully? Could be that they want to be seen as popular, or to gain attention, they could even be jealous of the person being bullied, it is also possible that they are being bullied themselves into being a bully. Or they enjoy feeling power over someone. On occasion they don't realize that they are hurting the other person.

Why are some people bullied and not others? Sometimes a person is being bullied for no reason, or because they are different IE: the way they talk, dress, their name, because they are smaller, or that the bully thinks that they won't stand up to them.

Ways to tell if someone is a bully. Being accused of being a bully at school or elsewhere. Gotten into trouble for fighting, speak about others as being stupid or other negative words. Or by saying that others deserve bad things happening to them or showing a lack of concern for others in bad situations.

Are you a bully? Are you seen by other students as tough and show little empathy for victimized persons? Do you repeatedly tease someone in a nasty way? Do you damage the belongings of other people? Do you desire to be dominate over others? Than you might be a bully
Being bullied is not a rite of passage and can be avoidable.

Teaching you children about 911

The three-digit telephone number "9-1-1" has been designated as the "Universal Emergency Number," for citizens throughout the United States to request emergency assistance.

Remember that you don't need any money to call 9-1-1 on any pay phone.

Stay calm and Speak clearly
Listen carefully to the Dispatchers questions and answer each question carefully.
Verbally answer all questions. Remember the Dispatcher cannot see your hand or head gestures, signs or motions.
State your emergency.
State your address - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO VERIFY THE ADDRESS
STAY ON THE LINE
Do not hang up until the Dispatcher tells you it is OK to do so. They may need to ask additional questions regarding the emergency or an EMS dispatcher may give your instructions to help stabilize the patient before the ambulance gets to your location.
Follow the instructions of the Dispatcher and remain calm.
If you can, stay by the phone in case the 9-1-1 call-taker needs to call you back.

Here are some of the questions the dispatcher may ask you if you are reporting a crime in progress:
Give a brief description of what occurred.
Where exactly did the incident occur? Include building and room/area.
How long ago did the incident occur?
Did the suspect(s) have any weapons?
Which direction was the suspect headed?
Was the suspect on foot or in a vehicle?
What did the suspect(s) look like? Describe each suspect one at a time.
Gender
Race
Age
Height; Weight
Hair Color; Length
Clothing
Glasses/Facial Hair
Was the suspect carrying anything?
Vehicle Description, Color, Make, Model, License Plate


To help your child remember important numbers, keep a current list of lifeline numbers next to the phone. Print it in big letters so that if your child still has difficulty identifying the numbers, they can just look at the numbers and locate them on the keypad.

Have your child practice on an unplugged phone. They can dial 911 and you can be the call-taker. Ask them questions about the pretend incident. Do this kind of role-playing repeatedly. Kids like make-believe and repetition.

If you are teaching your children about 9-1-1, consider the following:

• First, it is important that your child be taught their address and telephone number.
• Secondly, make sure your child can physically reach at least one telephone. Wall mounted telephones can be unreachable for really small children.
• Discuss with your child any situations that may be unique to them. This could include an elderly live-in relative; younger sibling; or any other unique factor that the child might encounter.
• The 911 service is for emergencies. It is important to teach your child not to play with or misuse 9-1-1
• Always refer to the number as "nine-one-one" not "nine-eleven." In an emergency your child may be confused when they can't find the "eleven" button on your telephone.

  If you would like to arrange to have your child call 9-1-1 for real, as part of your training program, please call the dispatch center at  273-2121 and let the dispatcher know you are training your child about 9-1-1. Ask the dispatcher if they have time to handle a 9-1-1 test call from your child before you place that 9-1-1 call.

Gun Safety

Teaching your child about gun safety is your responsibility. Teach your child that he or she must not touch a gun in your home or those of their friends homes. Talking openly about gun safety with your child is usually more effective than just ordering them leave them alone. Kids are curious, uniformed children are likely to get hurt! Teach them the following rules about guns.

• Stop! Never assume that the gun is a toy.
• Don't Touch!
If your child finds a gun outside somewhere it is possable that the gun could have been used in a crime. Fingerprints on the gun could be destroyed if touched. And the gun could be loaded and ready to fire.
• Leave the Area!
• Tell an Adult! If the gun is found outside the police should be called as soon as possable and directed to the scene.
• Treat every gun as if it is loaded and ready to fire, even if you know it is empty.

• Let them know that guns are capable of destruction, bodily injury, and possible death if misused.

Store guns somewhere so that they are inaccessible to children and others. Keep them locked up. With the keys for the gun and ammunition in a different area from where they are stored.

If your child knows where your gun is teach them not to tell their friends and schoolmates that there are firearms in the house.

Use a gun trigger lock. And Teach your children not to handle guns without your supervision.

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Where if the gun discharged nobody would get hurt. A safe direction is to point it at the ground and to the side.

Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. Keep it alongside the frame.

Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use, and Store the ammunition apart from the gun.

Never allow horseplay even if you know that it is unloaded.

Discuss gun safety with other parents if your child spends time in their homes.

AT SCHOOL

If your child hears another child saying that they are going to bring a gun to school tell them that is is very important to tell a teacher, the principal or another responsible adult. These threats should be taken seriously.

EDDIE EAGLE GUN SAFETY

http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/index.asp

Stranger Safety for Kids

"Never talk to strangers!" That's not all kids strangers are not only on the streets but on the Internet, at the parks, in our shopping malls, basically everywhere a child goes there is a stranger.
Strangers look like normal people, a stranger could be a man or woman a boy or girl. They could be short or tall, skinny or fat. Most strangers are nice but some are mean. A stranger is someone you don't know very well or know at all. Someone that you have never seen before or never met before, or an acquaintance of the family who knows you by name but that you don't know.
A stranger that has bad intentions could try to coax a child into a vehicle by saying that the child's parent is sick or in the hospital.
Please, tell your child that you will never send a stranger to get them. If you have no choice, in advance before that situation arises, agree on a code word with your child that the person must know before your child goes with them.

You should never accept a ride from a stranger, Never get into someones car that you or your parents don't know. Unless they know the code word.

If a stranger asks for help? Say no- leave immediately, step back while their talking to you, and don’t approach cars, vans or trucks. Tell your parents immediately.

If someone offers you candy, a present, money, or a ride? Ask your parents and adult in charge before accepting anything
Follows you to or from school or the playground. Go to a safe place right away. Be ready to run.

Approaches you in the store or what if you get lost while shopping? Look for a store employee wearing a uniform and name tag, remain at the front of the store until your parent comes to you.

Tries to grab you or says, “Come with me, or else” begin running to a safe place with people and lights, screaming, Stranger as you run. Report it to your parents or trusted adult immediately.

If someone tries to get you into their car FIGHT, SCREAM FIRE, BITE, KICK, JAB A PEN IN THE EYE OR UP THE NOSE, THROW ROCKS, OR ANY OTHER OBJECTS, THEN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN BACK TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE CLOSE, YELL ALL THE WAY IF YOU HAVE TO.

If someone tries to harm you remember what they looked like.
How tall. hair color, was it short,long,curly,short,. about how old was he or she. Did this person have any scars tattoos or birthmarks? What type of clothing remember the color and descriptions.

Fire Escape Plans

MAKE AND PRACTICE AN EXCAPE PLAN.
Plan for two ways to escape from each room.
Practice escape plans every month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room. If the primary way is blocked by fire or smoke, you will need a second way out. A secondary route might be a window onto an adjacent roof or using an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved collapsible ladder for escape from upper story windows. Make sure that windows are not stuck, screens can be taken out quickly and that security bars can be properly opened and that they have a quick-release latch and that everyone knows how to open them. Also, practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.

When a fire occurs, do not waste any time saving property. Take the safest exit route, but if you must escape through smoke, remember to crawl low, under the smoke and keep your mouth covered. The smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.
Plan for everyone in your home-including babies and others who need help to escape.

Pick a place to meet after you escape to check that everyone got out.

Designate a meeting location away from the home, but not necessarily across the street. For example, meet under a specific tree or at the end of the driveway or front sidewalk to make sure everyone has gotten out safely and no one will be hurt looking for someone who is already safe. Designate one person to go to a neighbor's home to phone the fire department.

Involve children in making and practicing your escape plan.
Teach children to never hide during a fire-they must get out and stay out.
Clear toys, boxes, and other debris from exits.

Never open a door that feels hot. Escape another way.
When you come to a closed door, use the back of your hand to feel the top of the door, the doorknob, and the crack between the door and door frame to make sure that fire is not on the other side. If it feels hot, use your secondary escape route. Even if the door feels cool, open it carefully. Brace your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. If heat and smoke come in, slam the door and make sure it is securely closed, then use your alternate escape route.

Summer Curfew Hours

Curfew hours means those hours during the period ending at 6:00 a.m. all days of the
week and beginning at 12:00 midnight on Sunday through Thursday and 1:00 a.m. on Friday
and Saturday.
Minor means any person under 18 years of age. Furthermore, the term "minor" is
synonymous with the term "juvenile."

Teens, cell phones and the internet

Although the increased independence that a cell phone might offer a child can be good, it can also be a negative thing. Consider that with a cell phone, your child will simply have another way to communicate with the outside world that you will have little supervision over. Cell phones may even be a distraction to kids. We all know that they are a distraction for drivers, but one study has also shown that cell phones can be a big distraction for kids crossing the street and could lead to more accidents and injuries. Cell phones allow kids to keep their contacts secret and can facilitate contact with bad influences. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has reported that some teens are using technology and the Internet to get drug information, and cell phones provide instant access to information and sources of drugs.



What you can do about it.

Know your children's cell phone contact list.

Be specific about cell phone use and set up specific rules about how and when the phone will be used. Set a limit on how much time children can use each month and how many text messages they can send and receive.

Emphasize and enforce the rule that teens should never use a cell phone while driving.

Establish rules of etiquette, such as never using a cell phone within 20 feet of another person.


Carriers offer some options for parents to limit what their kids can do with their Web-equipped phones here are some of them:

If your child's phone has Internet access, check with your service provider to find out how you can block adult sites. The provider might do it for you, or you might have to do it on the phone.

Cingular cell phones give adults an easy option to block adult sites, allowing parents to block or filter content.

And if your children figure out a way around your password and changes the filters, Cingular sends parents an email letting them know the content blocking feature has been bypassed.

Verizon Wireless added new parental controls for cell phones last year. Users can choose from three levels of settings that will filter the content available on the phone based on a rating system that takes the age of the user into account. The most restrictive setting, aimed at kids between the ages of 7 and 12, blocks access to e-mail, instant messaging, social networking sites and chat groups. The free service also filters Verizon's V CAST multimedia player that plays video and music according to the setting chosen by the parent. To sign up, Verizon customers can visit the Web site or call customer service.

AT&T Inc. has this plan Smart Limits plan for $4.99 a month. The plan lets users limit the number of text and instant messages sent and received.

Parents can block content that may not be appropriate for younger users, like chat rooms and dating sites, on AT&T's home page called MEdia Net, which comes with most of AT&T's basic cell phones. Or they can block access to the Web entirely.

T-Mobile USA Inc. offers a free service called Web Guard that filters mobile Web sites that might be inappropriate for younger users. It automatically blocks the search and browsing of several categories of sites, including dating, gambling and sex . The company says the service works on most phones, but may not work at certain times and in certain locations.

Sprint Nextel Corp.'s free service is called Web Access and limits Web browsing to about 100 preselected sites that are considered safe for all ages. Parents can turn on the service from their profile on the Sprint Web site or from their child's phone. All other sites are blocked. E-mail, instant messaging and access to mobile chat rooms can be blocked only by turning off the Web features on the phone itself. free service is called Web Access and limits Web browsing to about 100 preselected sites that are considered safe for all ages. Parents can turn on the service from their profile on the Sprint Web site or from their child's phone. All other sites are blocked. E-mail, instant messaging and access to mobile chat rooms can be blocked only by turning off the Web features on the phone itself.

The month of April is national child abuse prevention month. It is a time to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and to encourage individuals and communities to support children and families.
Child abuse and neglect often takes place in the home and comes from a person the child knows -- a parent, relative, baby-sitter or a friend of the family. A child of any age, race, or socioeconomic background can become a victim of abuse and neglect. Nine out of ten children are hurt by their own parents. Children suffer the pain, parents suffer the shock and guilt of their own behavior.
Some of the reasons for physical and psychological mistreatment of children within the family are parental feelings of frustration, stress such as marital, financial problems, substance abuse and or isolation from the support of family and friends.
The types of abuse include Emotional, physical, sexual abuse and negligent treatment of a child under the age of 18. Neglect is the failure to provide the child with basic needs this also includes inadequate supervision, abandonment, or inattention to a special education need. Physical abuse is the physical injury inflected on a child as a result of shaking, burning, kicking, hitting, beating or
otherwise harming a child. Sexual abuse of a child may include indecent exposure, fondling,incest, rape, or the production of pornographic materials. Emotional abuse is the failure to provide warmth, supervision, attention to the child, criticism, threats, and rejection,or otherwise normal life experiences. It impairs the child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth.
The impact of child maltreatment can be profound. The long-term effects can be physical,psychological, or behavioral. It can include mental illness, substance abuse,domestic violence,social problems with other children and adults, teen pregnancy and lack of success in school.
The first step in helping or getting help for an abused or neglected child is to recognize signs and symptoms that may signal the presence of child abuse. The child that is possibly suffering from neglect is frequently absent from school, lacks sufficient clothing for the weather, states there is no one at home to provide care, poor hygiene, or begs or steals food or money from school. The child that is possibly suffering from physical abuse has unexplained bruises,bites,burns, or welts, or the child appears frightened of a parent or caregiver and is afraid to go home. The child that is possibly being emotionally abused can show extremes in behavior,ranging from being overly aggressive to overly passive. Self-destructive, or has habit disorders. The child that is possibly being sexually abused can display age-inappropriate sexual play with toys,self,or others. Or can have age inappropriate knowledge of sex.
The following are some things that you can do to help prevent child abuse and neglect. Be a friend to a parent you know. Ask how their children are doing, if a new parent seems to be struggling offer to baby-sit, run errands, or offer a friendly ear. Make an effort to look out for one anothers children. Teach children their rights,children should be taught that no one should touch them in areas covered by a bathing suit, tell them to say no and report to an adult right
away. Anything you do to support kids and parents in your family and community helps reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Children often drop hints in an attempt to feel out an adult’s reaction before sharing a situation. Do not push the child to tell you more than he or she is willing to share, and let the child know that telling about the abuse or neglect was the right thing to do. Avoid overreaction or criticizing, and keep your own feelings under control. Above
all be supportive.
Wear a blue ribbon and tell people it stands for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. If you suspect a child has been abused report it. If you witness a child being harmed or see evidence of abuse. Contact your local law enforcement.

We can all help prevent child abuse by recognizing the risk factors, protecting children who are at risk and supporting families.

Resources for parents and children

Call 1-800-4-A-CHILD for The Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline. You can call any time day or night, and an expert will be able to help you. www.childhelpusa.org.
Call 1-800-621-4000 for the National Runaway Switchboard. If you have left home because you find life too tough there, call this number. www.nrscrisisline.org.

Youth & Family Resource Center, Inc.
326 West Eleventh Street
Shawnee, Oklahoma 74801
405.275.3340
Fax 405.275.3343
mailto:info@hopehouseonline.org
URL: http://www.hopehouseonline.org/

Project Safe
Director: Ann Lowrance
PO Box 465
Shawnee, OK 74802
405-273-9953
Crisis: 405-273-2420
Crisis: 800-821-9953
Fax: 405-273-8890
Email: ann.lowrance@sbcglobal.net

Activities

Celebrate youth by creating a children's parade. We should consider holding a parade to coincide with the coming of spring. Area businesses might be willing to donate refreshments and prizes for it. And we could contact the media.

We could plan recreational activities for adults and youth. Walking, jogging and bicycling programs as well as card and game board groups can be organized by us. Or we could form discussion/book groups.