Keeping Summers Fun, Safe, and Happy for our Children

Together, we have been making America a safer country for children for over 37 years.

Dear John,

Eating popsicles, riding bikes and catching fireflies are all part of simple summertime fun that plays out every day across the country. But on Friday July 2, 2021 during the early evening hours in Louisville, Kentucky, this typical scenario turned into real-life nightmare when a young girl was abducted by a stranger while she was playing outside.

The entire incident, from the time the girl was taken, to the moment she was safely recovered, happened very quickly—in less than 30 minutes. Louisville Metro Police say it was the immediate action of witnesses that made the difference for this little girl. Because of their quick thinking and the accurate information given to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, police were able to move quickly.

A “stranger abduction case” is very rare. At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), we receive reports of missing children that fall into one of five case types, including nonfamily abductions. A nonfamily abduction occurs when a child is taken by someone known, but not related, to the child (such as a neighbor or an online acquaintance) or by someone unknown to the child. Nonfamily abductions are the rarest type of case and make up only 1% of the missing children cases reported to NCMEC.

Using more than ten years of data, NCMEC has found that that:

Attempted abductions occur more often when a child is going to or from school or school-related activities
School-age children are at greatest risk on school days before and after school (7-9 a.m. and 3-4 p.m.) and after dinner time (6-7 p.m.)
Attempted abductions most often occur on the street while children are playing, walking, or riding bikes.

In 2020, more than 600 cases of attempted abductions were documented by NCMEC. We found that children evaded abduction in a variety of ways, including:

Ignoring or refusing the abductor
Using a cellphone to threaten or intervene
Fighting back
Screaming and/or making noise
Another adult or child intervened
Abductor left the area or voluntarily released the child

John, please consider a monthly donation to assist us with creating programs to prevent child victimization before it ever happens. Your gifts help create an America where all kids are able to enjoy warm and safe summer nights and happy, wholesome childhoods.

Thank you for being a hero for children and have a safe and healthy summer.

Sincerely,
Your Friends
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
www.MissingKids.org

P.S. John, this September is Miles for Hope! Join us and invite your friends and family to exercise, fundraise, and celebrate the important work that you make possible.

Have you seen me?

Call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

Charity Watchdog Seals
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.

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