Missing Children South Africa

Missing Children SA is a project undertaken by concerned and compassionate South Africans aimed at assisting those most vulnerable in our society, our children if they need help. Missing Children SA was launched on Friday 9 March 2007 during a Pinkday Memorial we organised for Sheldean Human at the gates of Parliament. The very same day a girl from Michells Plain, Stacie Wiese, disappeared and her body found 2 days later. It is a known fact that the first 24 hours are crucial when a child disappears. We have looked at various systems all over the world and havebased our program on the American Amber Alert system. When a child goes missing we engage with radio stations, newspapers, websites and others to get the information available to the general public. We also will print flyers and share it with our volunteers to assist. With this information being released while the trail is still hot, the chances of success are much greater and that is where our volunteers come in.

SOME SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

  1. Always be aware of who your child's friends are and where they live.
  2. Keep your child within view.
  3. Do not leave your child in an unattended car.
  4. Do not mark a small child's clothes with any names that are visible. Children tend to trust adults who know their name.
  5. Teach your child to always opt for the direct and safest way home. That way you will also know where to look for your child.
  6. Teach your child to walk with friends and play in their company.
  7. Teach your child what constitutes improper behaviour and how they should react to it should it happen.
  8. Teach your child never to accept a lift, presents or money from strangers.
  9. Teach your child to shout loudly if someone should try and take the child by force.
  10. Teach your child what is unusual behaviour on the part of strangers and report it to the parent(s) or other adults in control.
  11. Children should be taught how to use a telephone and know their personal emergency numbers, such as those of parents and 08600 10111.
  12. A child should be taught never to divulge personal information or about their parents or relatives to strangers.
  13. Never leave a child waiting for any extended period of time at school or at a shopping mall. Advise the school if you are late and let the child wait in a safe place.

 

If the unthinkable occurs - - - your child disappears.

  1. Do not panic.
  2. Make a brief search to ensure that the child is indeed missing.
  3. Proceed home and ensure there and enquire from the school, nearby friends and neighbours that the child is not with them.
  4. Don't ask children to help in the search. They may disappear as well.
  5. Report the disappearance of the child to the nearest police station without delay. The story that you should wait for 24 hours has no foundation at all. Do not be fooled by that.
  6. Take a recent photograph of you child when reporting the disappearance of your child when you go to the police.
  7. Provide the police with an accurate and complete physical description.
  8. Advise the police of the clothes the child was last seen wearing or whether any clothes appear to be missing.
  9. Ensure that the SAPS provide you with a ref number and contact name and no of the SAPS member(s) who will handle the case.
  10. Leave a responsible person at home to handle phone calls.
  11. Should any new information become available report this immediately to the SAPS investigating officer handling the matter.
  12. Finally, contact Missing Children SA at info@missingchildren.co.za or by tel on 072-MISSING or 072-6477-464. They will help organising a search party in your neighbourhood.

(Courtesy www.missingchildren.co.za)

Please visit their site to view photos of missing children.You may be able to help find a missing child.

Kindersafe

Teaching Kids to Be Safe Without Making Them Scared ~ Tips for Safety With Strangers and People Children Know

By Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Executive Director

Children’s personal safety skills, when supported, can help them stay safe with most people most of the time. You can teach children to be safe without scaring them - You just need to know how. Young people are at risk of assault, abduction, and abuse even in caring families, schools, and communities. Prevention is the key to protecting children’s personal safety. The good news is that there are simple and effective ways of teaching children how to protect themselves that will work most of the time. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers need to know that their children are more likely to be harmed by someone they know than by a stranger. Children need to have clear safety rules both for strangers when they are out on their own and for setting boundaries with people they know. Anyone can be a child molester—a neighbour, a relative, a family friend, a youth group leader, a teacher, even another child. The best way to protect your children’s personal safety is to make the time to ask them often, "Is there anything you’ve been wondering or worrying about that you haven’t told me?" and to listen to their answers with patience and respect. Children need to understand that there are different safety rules when they are not in the care of an adult and they are on their own. Children who are only a short distance away from an adult in charge even for a few minutes are on their own. They don’t need to worry. They just need to know what to do. Just telling children about safety or just showing children what to do is not enough. When we just talk to children about danger, their raised awareness can actually raise their level of anxiety. Young people learn best by actively participating. Practicing children’s personal safety skills increases their confidence and competence. It is important to do this in a way that is not scary, but is fun.

What Children Need to Know About Safety When They Are on Their Own:

  • Most people are good. This means most strangers are good.

  • A stranger is just someone I don’t know and can look like anybody.

  • The rules are different when I am with an adult who is taking care of me and when I am on my own. When I am on my own, my job is to check first with the adult in charge before I let a stranger get close to me, talk to me, or give me anything.

  • If I am old enough to be out on my own without an adult to ask, it is safer to be where there are other people close by to get help if I need it.

  • I do not give personal information to a stranger or to someone who makes me feel uncomfortable.

  • It is OK to get help from strangers if an emergency is happening to me, and there is no one close by that I know.

  • My job is to check first with the adult in charge before I go anywhere with anyone (a stranger or someone I know). I will tell the adult in charge where I am going, who will be with me, and what I will be doing.

  • I will have a safety plan for how to get help anywhere I go.

  • I will know what my family's safety rules are for children answering the door, being on the phone, and being on the internet.

(Courtesy www.kindersafe.co.za)

Very valuable and practical advice, be sure to visit their site

Operation Bobbibear

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Operation Bobbi Bear exists to:

  • Rescue and uphold the rights of sexually abused children.
  • Minimise their risk of HIV infection.
  • Help them towards wholeness.

This is important because in South Africa:

  • The reported cases of child sexual abuse have increased by 400% in the past 8 - 9 years.
  • In KwaZulu-Natal it is estimated that 51% of adults between 16 and 45 years are HIV+. Since this is the perpetrator age group for sexual abuse, child victims are at risk of contracting HIV.
  • Rape and abuse charge dockets are difficult to complete due to language barriers (we have 11 official languages in South Africa). The loss of facts results in cases being refused to be heard in a court of law, and the perpetrators of the crimes walk free.
  • The child rape victims experience secondary abuse when giving statements and evidence and being medically examined.
  • The ongoing care for child abuse victims is often inconsistent - the child becomes confused since they are required to work with many different adults.

OBJECTIVES

  • To collaborate with and assist the criminal justice system to ensure the rights and safety of the child victim of sexual abuse
  • To assess HIV/AIDS risk of child victim of sexual abuse at point-of-rescue, to intervene and to counsel appropriately
  • Applying therapeutic methods with use of Bobbi Bear, to obtain forensic facts and evidence to assist the criminal justice process, within the best interests of the child.
  • To empower and train local communities to collaborate with the criminal justice system, to ensure the rights and safety of child (Preventative Measures)
  • To empower and train Child Safety Officers locally, as prototypes for national expansion, and possible inclusion into the criminal justice system
  • To equip and mobilise churches and religious communities to be trained in HIV/AIDS, Pre- and Post-Test Counselling and Positive Living/ Wellness Management Programmes, in order to offer spiritual and emotional support to child victim of sexual abuse.
  • To increase awareness within local communities, with the aid of Bobbi Bear as symbol against sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS
  • To train identified members within communities to be trained as community child safety officers

(Courtesy www.bobbibear.co.za)