The Lost Life Epidemic
The phrase
“missing children” is one which frequently blares through news outlets on a
seemingly daily basis. Due to the almost constant exposure to these news
stories, one can become prone to sensations of numbness towards it. Perhaps, a
brief moment of empathy occurs towards the parents of the child, but most
likely one continues on with their day without much thought regarding the child
and their family. However, due to this conditioning of exposure to news of
missing children, one can very easily misappropriate the severity and the
frequency of this issue. According to the FBI, there were 424, 066 National
Crime Information Center entries regarding missing children in 2017 alone
(“About NCMEC.”). In addition, one typically does not consider the specific situation
involving the child’s absence either or even the vulgar yet undeveloped history
of this “missing children” epidemic. Various factors such as episode type,
race, gender, and motive all contribute to the circumstances surrounding it
(“About NCMEC.”) (Sedlack, Andrea J, et al. 7, 8). Is there a solution to this
epidemic?
The history
of the “missing children” epidemic in America is one which has evolved
throughout the ages. Pinning down an exact “patient zero” for it is impossible.
One cannot precisely name the first missing child case. In early centuries,
detailed records and reports were not taken to keep accounts of events such as
these. However, in America, the first recorded U.S. Senate hearing regarding
the disappearance of school children occurred in 1981 (Best 28). It involved
the parents of Etan Patz, Adam Walsh, and Yusuf Bell (1). Between 1981 and
1985, the Senate convened to hear the testimonies of the children's parents
(1).
Additionally, one can assume that
missing persons have been tragically woven into America’s past. Two entire
people groups have mysteriously vanished, the Roanoke Colony and the Anasazi
Indians of the Rocky Mountains (Voa). Both groups disappeared without a trace
and their whereabouts are still unknown (1). Within the same era, missing
children and persons were not uncommon occurrences. Due to the exiling of
native Americans and the growing turmoil this conceived, children would
sometimes be abducted during hostile Native American raids (“10 Pioneer
Children Abducted…”) (“The Challenges of the Frontier.”). Other adolescents
would simply wander from the safety of their parents during the countless days
of traveling in search of the new frontier. The threat of wild animals almost
always loomed over families as well. Although there is little to no ground zero
regarding the first missing child case in America, it is unfortunately apart of
its history.
Missing
children, in its many forms, has varying levels of social severity. Due to the
under-representation and lack of media coverage regarding this topic, there are
little to no articles regarding the social effects of a missing child. However,
one can assume it mirrors the effects of the death of a child because, in a
sense, the loved ones connected to the child mourn the life and future that
could have been. Let’s discuss the results of losing a missing child with
evidence from articles of those who have suffered from the death of a child.
According to the HealGrief
Organization, the loss of a child is commonly referred to as the “ultimate
tragedy” and can have crippling effects on the family and loved ones involved
(“Grieving the Death of a Child.”). Along with the traditional stages of
grief-shock, denial, confusion, etc.- dealing with this form of pain invites
other factors of pain to expand. Feelings of injustice, wrestling with the
unknown, and overall numbness are said to occur (1). Additionally, the
relationship between a growing child and his parents is said to be one of the
most intense relationships in life (1). Losing a child also creates a gap in
the role that the parents were easing into (1). It produces a sense of failure
due to this loss of said purpose (1). Overall, the loss of a child has numerous
effects upon the immediate family and parents.
When a child that has been declared
missing is found, returned, or rescued from his plight, there can be lasting
emotional and physical trauma. In a small study, it was found that 62.69% of
children who were returned to their parents did not discuss the events that
transpired while they were away (Freeman 18). Feelings of anger, uncertainty,
and distress were also said to have been displayed by the children (Freeman
19). The rescued children in this particular study also exhibited physical
symptoms of stress such as persisting sicknesses, headaches, clinginess,
rashes, and high temperatures (Freeman 23). Nonphysical effects that occurred
varied yet were not exclusive to lack of faith, unwillingness to take risks,
the learning of coping strategies, and the loss of youth that was said to have
been “stolen” due to the events that transpired (Freeman 24). One of the adults
in this study, who had been abducted as a child, mentioned that she had
struggled in school and battled with drinking and violence after her rescue
(Freeman 26). This same woman also described herself as being “A functioning,
miserable, non-diagnosed depressive for many years” (1). In the end, a
recovered child can have various physical and emotional scars due to their
specific event.
The term
“missing child” is an incredibly broad and far-reaching term. Due to its
complex and fluid nature, it has numerous forms including family abductions,
nonfamily abductions, and abductions for the purpose of sex trafficking (“About
NCMEC.”). A case is coined as a “family abduction” when a child is taken,
detained, or concealed by a family member, depriving another family member of
visitation rights (1). This form of “missing child” case is relatively rare and
has occurred in only 5% of the time in children reported missing to the NCMEC
during 2017 (1). In August of 2007, an exhausting family abduction occurred
when David Matusiewicz, father of Laura, Leigh, and Karen, took his daughters
on a vacation to Disney World (Chen). Matusiewicz and his ex-wife, Christine
Belford, had previously undergone a divorce in 2006 and obtained joint custody
of the girls (1). One can imagine the horror when the two weeks away from
Belford quickly morphed into a nineteen-month search for the girls (1).
Eventually, Matusiewicz pleaded guilty to international bank fraud as well as
international parental kidnapping (1).
Nonfamily
abductions occur when a child is taken from their families by an unknown person
(“About NCMEC.”). These are the rarest form of missing child and only occur in
1% of the missing children reported to the NCMEC (1). Typically, the child is
abducted by a neighbor, online acquaintance, or someone completely unknown to
the child (Sedlack, Andrea J, et al. 7). He is then transported at least 50
miles and is held for ransom, sexual reasons, or with the intent of being
killed (1). A rather famous example of a nonfamily abduction is the Lindbergh
Kidnapping (“Lindbergh Kidnapping.”). On March 1, 1932, twenty-month-old
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was taken from his nursery on the second floor
of his family home (1). Over the course of countless months, the kidnapper, who
was later discovered to be Bruno Richard Hauptmann, communicated with Lindbergh
Jr.’s parents through ransom notes, each demanding various sums of money (1).
Hauptmann was still at large when the Lindbergh Jr.’s remains were accidentally
discovered buried forty five feet away from a highway (1). Once Hauptmann was
apprehended, he was charged and found guilty of extortion, murder in the first
degree, and on April 3, 1936, was electrocuted (1). Sadly, many missing
children befall the same fate of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. or are simply
never found.
The final,
and perhaps the most gruesome form of child abduction, is for the purpose of
child sex trafficking. According to NCMEC, child sex trafficking is defined as
the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, or advertisement of a child for
the purpose of a commercial sex act” (“About NCMEC.”). Traffickers are not
confined to any gender, race, or socioeconomic class but rather are all
encompassing and usually do not involve a single identifiable trafficker (1). A
specific and more recent example of such abductions occurred on September 28,
2018 when 123 children were rescued during a sweep conducted by Michigan law enforcement
(Jacobs). The children had all been taken by a local sex trafficking ring (1).
Thankfully, the outcome of this certain case is one worth celebrating. Yet,
these children will not doubt be burdened with the trauma of this horrific
ordeal for the rest of their lives.
Although the “missing children”
epidemic appears hopeless, there are some ways it is currently being combated.
Perhaps the most famous form of child abduction prevention is the AMBER Alert
system. AMBER, America’s Missing Broadcasting Emergency Response, resulted from
a recent “memorial crime control” policy in response to the child abduction and
murder of Amber Hagerman (Griffin and Miller 160). The system itself is
relatively simple. AMBER Alerts are announcements regarding missing children or
their captors whose purpose is to generate tips from citizens (1). These tips
hopefully allow officials to rescue the child (1.) According to the U.S.
Department of Justice, hundreds of children's lives have been saved due to the
rapid response elicited by the AMBER System (1).
However, there are numerous flaws
associated with this specific combatant of child abduction. According to recent
research by Griffin, Miller, Hoppe, Rebideaux, & Hammack, AMBER Alerts
usually tend to be successful when there is little risk involved such as a
family abduction (Griffin and Miller 160). They are more likely to be
unsuccessful in “stereotypical” abduction situations (1). Additionally, Kristen
Zgoba placed the AMBER Alert System under what she coins the “moral panic-driven
child protection legislation” (1). Griffin and Miller further define this as “a
public response or set of responses to crime which generate the appearance, but
not the fact, of crime control” (1). Simply stated, the authors of this article
believe that AMBER Alerts truly do not offer substantial relief to the missing
children epidemic but rather paint the facade of “commitment to child welfare”
(1). However, they do display that the U.S. Government is concerned with the wellbeing
and safety of its youth. Police response time upon actionable intel is yet
another hindrance of the system (Griffin and Miller 164). By the time the tip
is processed and determined as valid, the child and his captor may be hours
ahead of officials. Overall, the AMBER Alert System is one with noble
intentions and has saved hundreds of lives yet is filled with flaws and is
ultimately not the ideal form of relief for the missing children epidemic.
Aside from
the AMBER Alert System, there are truly not many official ways to combat the
issue of missing children in America. However, numerous blogs such as All Pro Dad and Fatherly have compiled lists of tips that one can utilize in order
to prevent child abduction. Clayton Cranford, author of Parenting in a Digital World, claims that “Having an open
conversation with your child about potential threats, and what to do if they
encounter a problem is the key safety factor in your child’s life” (“Don't
Worry About…”). Teaching children to avoid shortcuts when walking home or never
speaking to strangers on the internet are only minor examples of what these
sites encourage parents to teach their children (“26 Tips to Keep…”). The
restriction of certain apps and installation of parental controls can also be
implemented in order to provide safe access for children on the internet
(“Don't Worry About…”). Unfortunately, there are not numerous national
preventative measures being taken to stunt the missing children epidemic and
these solutions are only minor alternatives. Yet, there are numerous online
resources from which parents can become more educated in prevention tips.
Albert
Camus, the creator of Absurdism, endorsed the philosophy that mankind as a
whole is always in search of meaning in a meaningless world (Miessler).
Additionally, he promoted “acceptance of the absurd” whereby one achieves
absolute freedom and contentedness from continuing to live in spite of the lack
of meaning of life (1). Although Absurdism is not directly involved with the
missing child epidemic in America, victims of it can possibly cling to
Absurdist beliefs in an attempt to process these horrific events. Parents or
relatives of those who have lost a child can view life as devoid of meaning or
search in vain for answers. Based on Camus’s general beliefs on life and its
purpose, it is not unlikely to surmise that he would have interpreted the
missing children epidemic as another senseless occurrence in a purposeless
world. Perhaps, he would have encouraged those who are affected by the epidemic
to simply accept the absurd and attempt to achieve contentedness from the
“personal meaning constructed in the process” (Miessler). Although Albert
Camus’s beliefs and Absurdism do not directly correlate with missing children,
some victims and those affected by the epidemic may adopt his philosophies.
The missing
children epidemic in the United States is one which many have grown accustomed
to despite its almost undocumented history. Near constant exposure in the media
has callused the country to this threat. Although a vast majority of Americans
are immune to the epidemic, its effects are still painful and far-reaching. It
has the ability to cripple families and marriages as well as brand children
with lasting scars. Additionally, it is incredibly diverse and blossoms in numerous
forms such as family abductions, nonfamily abductions, and abductions for the
purpose sex trafficking (“About NCMEC.”). However, the U.S. Government and
numerous online sources have fabricated numerous methods in which to minimize
the missing children epidemic. The AMBER Alert System and preventative tips are
currently the only known opposition to the issue. However, only through the
resistance of Camus’s absurd beliefs can the rising generation hope to lessen
and eventually end the missing child epidemic.
Works Cited
“10 Pioneer Children Abducted By
Native Americans Who Refused To Go Home.” Listverse,
20 Mar. 2019,
listverse.com/2017/11/05/10-pioneer-children-abducted-by-native-americans-who-refused-to-go-home/.
“26 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe from
Abduction.” All Pro Dad, 6 July 2017,
www.allprodad.com/26-tips-to-keep-your-kids-safe-from-abduction/.
“About NCMEC.” Child Sexual
Exploitation - NCMEC, www.missingkids.com/footer/media/keyfacts.
Best, Joel. “Threatened Children.”
Google Books, 1990,
books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8VIg9STL-wUC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=missing%2Bchildren%2B&ots=KGuhfLdurG&sig=togHTty0xC_ygBJh-9VAJ2EEw8M#v=onepage&q=missing%20children&f=false.
Chen, Stephanie. “The Untold Tale of
Family Abductions: 3 Girls Missing, an International Hunt.” CNN, Cable News
Network, 9 Dec. 2009, www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/30/delaware.family.abductions/index.html.
“Don't Worry About White Vans, Worry
About Facebook.” Fatherly, 26 Oct.
2018, www.fatherly.com/parenting/safety/how-to-prevent-child-abduction/.
Freeman, Marilyn. Effects of
Abduction Report. May 2006, www.reunite.org/edit/files/Library%20-%20reunite%20Publications/Effects%20Of%20Abduction%20Report.pdf.
“Grieving the Death of a Child.”
HealGrief, healgrief.org/grieving-the-death-of-a-child/.
Griffin, Timothy, and Monica K.
Miller. “Child Abduction, AMBER Alert, and Crime Control Theater.” Criminal
Justice Review, 19 May 2008, www.researchgate.net/profile/Monica_Miller/publication/249772258_Child_abduction_AMBER_alert_and_crime_control_theater/links/0046353349f4a3f26f000000/Child-abduction-AMBER-alert-and-crime-control-theater.pdf.
Jacobs, Emily. “123 Missing Children
Found in Michigan during Sex Trafficking Operation.” New York Post, New York
Post, 9 Oct. 2018,
nypost.com/2018/10/09/123-missing-children-found-in-michigan-during-sex-trafficking-operation/.
“Lindbergh Kidnapping.” FBI, FBI, 18
May 2016, www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/lindbergh-kidnapping.
Miessler, Daniel. “Albert Camus'
Absurdism.” Daniel Miessler, 6 Oct.
2017, danielmiessler.com/blog/albert-camus-absurdism/.
Sedlack, Andrea J, et al. “National
Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview.” University of New Hampshire
Scholars' Repository, 2002, scholars.unh.edu/ccrc/19/.
“The Challenges of the Frontier.”
Scholastic, www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/challenges-frontier/.
Voa. “Mystery of Vanished US
Colonies Lingers.” VOA, VOA, 15 May 2012, www.voanews.com/a/mystery_of_missing_us_colonies_remains_unsolved/566195.html.
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