A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS The Use of Photos in Locating Missing and Abducted Children By David C. Thelen, CEO The Committee for Missing Children, Inc
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one in six children are found through some form of photo distribution. Throughout the United States, photos of missing and abducted children are distributed by many ways and means. The National Center has several hundred photo partners who disseminate photos on a regular basis. The United States Postal Service, The IRS and ADVO are but a few. In addition, the National Center distributes photos to District Attorneys offices and non-profit child-find organizations throughout the United States. America's Most Wanted Magazine also uses photos from the NCMEC that are placed in each publication.- The fifty State Clearinghouses that deal with missing and abducted children also receive photos from the National Center. In addition to this, many of the State Clearinghouses have their own state distribution of children missing or abducted from or to their state. Congress is involved, by placing pictures of missing and abducted children on congressional mailing envelopes. These are but a few of the ways children's photos are disseminated.
- Getting It Done
- The Committee for Missing Children started out as a photo partner for the National Center. Today we are one of the top five largest photo distributors in the United States. Through the use of many of our own photo partners within the school supply industry, The Committee for Missing Children has distributed over 2 billion images of over 1,500 children since 1992.
- One of our photo partners, Riverside Paper of Appleton, Wisconsin, places between 240 and 320 million images of family-abducted children into the American schools every year. This program is, by far, the largest distribution of abducted children into public and private schools. This has been an on-going, cooperative effort between the NCMEC and The Committee for Missing Children that started in 1994. In addition to the NCMEC, The Committee for Missing Children also uses photos for its Riverside project from Child Quest International, a California non-profit child-find organization.
- Riverside Paper sells a type of art paper called "construction paper" to public and private schools, as well as stores such as Sam's. On the top of every package of construction paper is a "top sheet" that lists the type of paper, color, etc. On the back of each "top sheet" are pictures of eight family-abducted children. Teachers who work in schools that purchase construction paper from Riverside Paper should post the top sheets in the teacher's lounge so that teachers can see if any of these abducted children are enrolled in their classrooms.
- In addition to Riverside, The Press of Ohio of Brimfield, Ohio, produces large (18" x 22") color posters for the Committee for Missing Children. These posters are distributed free of charge to other non-profit missing children organizations for distribution. This method allows for a larger distribution of the children's photos. We have found that by working with other non-profits, we increase our distribution ten-fold.
- To date, The Committee for Missing Children and The Press Of Ohio have printed free of charge posters for The NCMEC, Child Quest International, The Missing Children's Help Center, "Help the Kids", The New York State Missing Children's Clearinghouse, Vanished Children's Alliance, 3-Children, Child Focus (Belgium), PARENT International, SOS (France), Children's Rights Council/Japan, and Mouvement Suisse contre l'Enlvement des Enfants (Switzerland).
- Many of the photo partners we use are manufacturers of school supplies who will print a page of missing and abducted children in their school supply catalogs. These catalogs are then sent to the schools. Teachers and administrators are ask to remove the pages of children's images and post them in the teachers lounge or in a place that has high visibility. In addition to catalogs we have many photo partners who will add a page of missing and abducted children's images to their teacher resource books. Likewise, the teachers can remove the page and post it for other teachers to see.
- How You Can Help
- The Committee for Missing Children has developed a web site that will allow any person interested in helping to locate missing and abducted children to access pictures of the children. By accessing our web at HYPERLINK http://www.findthekids.org www.findthekids.org and clicking on the section titled "Missing Children" you will be able to go directly to any one of sixteen web sites that we have identified as having the best and largest sites on missing and abducted children. From any one of these sites you will be able to download pictures of missing and abducted children for distribution.
- By accessing the section on "United States Non-Profit Missing Children's Organizations," you can communicate directly with the organizations producing the photos you may wish to distribute within your communities. Many of the non-profits have created their own unique ways of distributing photos. If you can, you should visit those sites that seem interesting to you. Remember, children are found through photo distribution only if the photos are displayed for people to see.
- You may also access the section that lists all fifty state Missing Children's Clearinghouses through our site. As stated above, many of the State's Clearinghouses have developed methods of distributing missing and abducted children's photos to law enforcement throughout their states. However, many State Clearinghouses do not automatically redistribute photos once they receive them. If you have a missing or abducted child, do not assume that if the NCMEC or a another non-profit sends a photo to your State Clearinghouse that it is automatically sent to all police stations and sheriffs departments. You should always follow up, never assume your child's picture is being distributed, make sure it is.
- Today, many organizations are willing to place pictures of missing and abducted children on their web sites. Many organizations will produce, free of charge, banners that feature the children. Whether these web sites actually find children remains to be seen. I have heard of only a few cases where children have actually been found through a sighting on the web. However, the web is invaluable for getting a child's photo to those who are willing to download them and post them throughout their communities. Like the ADVO cards, if you recognize a child it will be automatic. You get an ADVO card in the mail and you think"that little boy is on my son's baseball team". It is that simple. So, always take a second to look at the cards. Who knows, you might be the one to find the next missing or abducted child.
- Likewise, next time you go into a Wal-Mart, take a second of your time and look at the photos of missing children. They are usually on the wall as you leave the store. I know you have seen them, but have you stopped and taken a look. One look could make a difference.
- It has been stated that as many as 80% of all family abducted children may be eventually enrolled or re-enrolled in school under their own name or an assumed name. Teachers have a tremendous opportunity to help recover many of the family-abducted children we are looking for. The Committee for Missing Children will gladly send any teacher a set of the Riverside abducted children sheets for posting in teacher's lounges. Teachers can contact the CMC at the phone number and e-mail listed below or through our web site.
- The abduction of a child, under any circumstances, is wrong and in many cases it could be considered a form of child abuse. It is wrong for any parent to use their children to punish or get back at their spouse. The Committee for Missing Children remains committed to helping all parents to be reunited with their children. Anyone wishing to communicate directly with The Committee for Missing Children may do so by calling 678-376-6265 or by e-mail. If you would like to have a photo of a missing child distributed, please give us a call at 800-525-8204.
- Web Site: www.findthekids.org
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