JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has analyzed more than 18,000 attempted child abductions and discovered some haunting similarities about when, where, what age and the tricks would-be kidnappers use to lure children.
The News4JAX I-TEAM dug into this data with help from child advocate, Callahan Walsh, who works for the NCMEC. Walsh’s father, John, created the center after his son and Callahan’s brother, Adam, was abducted in 1981 from the Hollywood Mall in Hollywood, Florida, and murdered. The 6-year-old’s severed head was found two weeks after he disappeared while shopping with his mother. Police said convicted serial killer, Otis Toole, who lived in Jacksonville at the time, confessed to the boy’s murder but later recanted.
Callahan and John Walsh have dedicated their lives to raising awareness and identifying the risks. Parents should learn when and where kids are most vulnerable to better protect them.
The center’s data reveals when a child is most likely to be abducted:
- Attempted abductions occur more often when a child is going to or from school or school-related activities.
- School-age children are at the greatest risk on school days before and after school — 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. — and after dinner — 6 to 7 p.m.
- Attempted abductions most often occur on the street while children are playing, walking or riding bikes.
- Younger children are more likely to be playing or walking with a parent or an adult whereas school-age children are more likely to be walking alone or with peers.
- Attempted abductions of older children are more likely to involve a sexual component.
- Many attempted abductions involved a suspect driving a vehicle.
Callahan Walsh said there is a certain age group most often targeted by would-be kidnappers.
“Usually, it’s girls between the ages of 10 and 14. However, any child can be susceptible to child abduction,” explained Walsh.
The NCMEC has also found that abductors use these techniques to lure a child:
- The offer trick: A child is offered something desirable, like candy, money, toys or a ride.
- The animal trick: A cute or interesting animal is used to get the child to follow or enter a vehicle or home.
- The emergency trick: Someone fakes an emergency and offers to take the child to another location.
- The help trick: The child is asked to help with something such as directions, looking for a lost pet or carrying something.
- The friend trick: A person tells the child he or she has been sent by the child’s parent. Sometimes the person actually knows the parent.
- The “bad” child trick: Someone accuses the child of doing something wrong and says the child must go with him or her.
- The flattery/model trick: Someone compliments the child and asks to take his or her picture. The person may promise the child fame or fortune.
- The open-the-door trick: Someone tries to get the child to answer the door when the parents are not home.
Stranger Danger is not effective at protecting your child
“At the national center, we do not teach stranger danger anymore,” said Walsh. “First of all, it is easy to teach kids, we understand, a rhyme, but oftentimes a child is abducted by somebody that they already know.”
Walsh also said that not all strangers are bad. A person that could come in and help rescue that child, like a store clerk or another parent on the street is a stranger to the child, which can confuse a child.
Another reason, said Walsh, “Children oftentimes think that strangers are ugly or mean people, and they don’t really understand the full concept of what a stranger is. When they see someone who is maybe younger or better looking coming up to them and asking them a question or engaging with them, they may not view that person as a stranger and as a threat.”
RELATED: Click here to see all of the I-TEAM’s previous investigations and stories
The NCMEC offers suggestions about the language parents and adults should use when teaching children about abduction prevention:
- Don’t say: Never talk to strangers.
- Do say: You should not approach just anyone. If you need help, look for a uniformed police officer, a store clerk with a nametag or a parent with children.
- Don’t say: Stay away from people you don’t know.
- Do say: It’s important for you to get my permission before going anywhere with anyone.
- Don’t say: You can tell someone is bad just by looking at them.
- Do say: Pay attention to what people do. Tell me right away if anyone asks you to keep a secret, makes you feel uncomfortable, or tries to get you to go somewhere with them.
Parents unknowingly expose their children to danger
The NCMEC warns parents against making two mistakes.
First, do not monogram your child’s backpack. It allows would-be kidnappers an easy way to approach your child by knowing their name. The child may become confused about knowing the person.
Second, Walsh said, parents often share too much information on social media about their children.
“I see parents all the time putting way too much information about their child’s schedule, where they go to school, who is their teacher, where they’re going to for extracurricular activities,” he explained.
He said this includes pictures parents often post on their child’s first day of school.
Children who fight/runaway are more likely to survive
The NCMEC’s review of attempted abductions revealed one extremely important fact: 83% of children who escaped their would-be abductors did something proactive. They walked/ran, yelled, kicked or pulled away. This means the best thing a child can do if someone tries to abduct them is take action instead of being passive or polite.
Walsh suggests parents have frequent conversations with their young children and teens about abduction prevention and urges parents to always report an attempted abduction to law enforcement.
“There are way more attempted abductions than are reported,” he said. “Oftentimes, the family says that was a close call, my child is safe, it’s over. But if that abductor is not arrested, they are still out there and that was just a practice run. The next time, they’re going to learn from their mistake and the next one may be successful.”