Skip to Main ContentOJJDP NEWS @ a Glance
 


September/October    
Volume I Number 5    
In this Issue
right side navagation bar OJP Logo Funding Update Web Resources OJJDP Conferences Special Feature

White House Holds Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children

“When a child’s liberty and innocence are taken, it is a terrible, terrible loss. And those responsible have committed a terrible crime. Our society has a solemn duty to shield children from exploitation and danger.”

–President George W. Bush,
October 2, 2002

President Bush presents keynote remarks at the White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children. (White House photo by Paul Morse)The first White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children was held October 2, 2002, in Washington, DC. President Bush presented the keynote remarks at the conference, which was designed to raise public awareness of the issue, share progress, and reinvigorate practitioners and other stakeholders. OJJDP and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) joined the White House in sponsoring the event.

“Our first duty as adults is to create an environment in which children can grow and thrive without fearing for their security,” said President Bush in his remarks. “That’s what we’ve got to do. Because children are so vulnerable, they need the care of adults. Because they’re so vulnerable, those who are cruel and predatory often target our children.”

“This White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children is important for America,” President Bush added. “This is the beginning of a refocused effort at the federal level to help save people’s lives. This is the beginning of a successful strategy implemented at all levels of government and all parts of our society to recognize a real threat and to deal with it; to recognize there are some so evil in our society that they’re willing to harm our most precious and most vulnerable citizens; to be prepared to respond quickly when that happens; to help people prevent it from happening in the first place; and to make it clear, if you do it and we catch you, there’s going to be serious consequences for you.”

The all-day conference, which drew more than 600 participants, featured the participation of Attorney General John Ashcroft (who gave the opening address), Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Education Secretary Rod Paige, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The Attorney General and FBI Director Mueller specifically committed to maintaining the Justice Department’s efforts to address the problem of missing and exploited children as a priority, even as the Department focuses on homeland security issues. “As our awareness of the threats to our children has sharpened, we have grown even more determined in our mission to protect their lives and safeguard their innocence,” said Attorney General Ashcroft in his opening remarks. “The role of concerned citizens is vitally important in keeping our children safe. But we also depend on government and law enforcement to protect and to seek justice for those among us who are most vulnerable—our children.”

The seven panel sessions focused on recent research findings, prevention of child victimization, and effective law enforcement policies for handling crimes against children. Because of the spate of abductions this past summer, many families have become anxious and concerned that law enforcement cannot always prevent abductions or return children unharmed to their families. OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores addressed this concern in a panel discussion he moderated on “What Works,” which highlighted technologies, law enforcement efforts, and community responses that demonstrate that much progress has been made in developing tools to help keep children safe from abduction and exploitation.

Other topics discussed in the panel sessions included child abduction, domestic and international parental kidnapping, sex trafficking of children, child pornography, runaway and homeless youth, Internet safety, and corporate and community involvement. Conference participants included officials from all levels of government, law enforcement personnel, families of child victims, researchers, corporate leaders, and others.

In connection with the conference, the White House announced the release of a new guidebook, Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents, available in English and Spanish at the NCMEC Web site (missingkids.com).

OJJDP also announced the release of an updated edition of its guidebook for families of missing children, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, and the recent publication of A Law Enforcement Guide on International Parental Kidnapping. OJJDP also released a new series of publications based on the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2). A list of selected OJJDP publications on missing and exploited children appears below. For additional information about the White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children, visit ojjdp.ncjrs.org/white_house_conf/.

Selected Publications

For descriptions of these and other publications pertaining to missing and exploited children, including links to full-text files, visit ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubSearch.asp. Unless otherwise noted, all publications may also be ordered from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800–638–8736, 410–792–4358 (fax), and online at puborder.ncjrs.org.

Guidebooks for Families

A Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping. NCJ 190448.

Personal Safety for Children: A Guide for Parents. NCJ 196166.

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. NCJ 170022.

Findings From NISMART–2

Highlights From the NISMART Bulletins. Online Fact Sheet. (ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=6699).

NISMART Questions and Answers. Online Fact Sheet. (ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=6698).

National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview. NCJ 196465.

Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics. NCJ 196466.

Nonfamily Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics. NCJ 196467.

Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics. NCJ 196469.

Related Publications

The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Parental Abduction. NCJ 186160.

Early Identification of Risk Factors for Parental Abduction. NCJ 185026.

Highlights of the Youth Internet Safety Survey. FS 200104.

Issues in Resolving Cases of International Child Abduction by Parents. NCJ 190105.

Keeping Children Safe: OJJDP’s Child Protection Division. NCJ 186158.

Kidnapping of Juveniles: Patterns From NIBRS. NCJ 181161.

A Law Enforcement Guide on International Parental Kidnapping. NCJ 194639. Please note: This publication is not available online.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. FS 200128.

Protecting Children in Cyberspace: The ICAC Task Force Program. NCJ 191213.


News @ a Glance is OJJDP’s bimonthly newsletter, bringing you up-to-date notices of agency activities, recent publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming events— with an emphasis on providing quick access to online sources for publications and other resources. Let us know what types of features would be most useful to you (e-mail [email protected]).

Subscribe to and receive OJJDP News @ a Glance electronically so you can be sure to receive every issue. Visit the OJJDP home page (ojjdp.ncjrs.org) and click on the Subscribe to OJJDP News @ a Glance icon.


The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

NCJ 196856

OJJDP Home | About OJJDP | E-News | Topics | Funding | Programs
State Contacts | Publications | Statistics | Events


OJJDP News @ a Glance September/October 2002
Volume I Number 5