Parental Kidnapping by: Sheri Gray

Have you ever heard day to day kidnapping news revolving around events like a mother kidnapping her own son from her businessman husband who abused their child? Or maybe you have heard cases like this: about a stepfather who kidnaps his step daughter then takes her out of the country to force his wife to pay him a fortune in order to get her back?

These types of cases of kidnapping are known as Parental Kidnapping, to be precise. While some people do it to free their children from abusive and tyrant spouses others do it deliberately for financial gain. Other reasons for parental kidnapping include neglecting the spouses needs, abuse of the children by the spouse, endangerment of the child and injustice.

Some parents feel that they have been ill-treated during the legal battle for the custody of their child. As a result they kidnap the child to satisfy their ego or they cannot do without their children.

A survey by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has revealed that over 300,000 children are abducted every year. This huge number reflects how laws are needed, and they must be made very stringent in order to convict the offenders and instill fear in people who are planning similar acts.

In addition, one of the worst parts of kidnapping attempts is the effect on the children due to all this. It can cause serious harm for his future development including emotional development, bad behavior in school, malnutrition and violent tendencies.

Help and Resources

There is hope and help. Via the Internet, you can access the NCMEC site and speak to a Call Center Specialist if you have speakers and a microphone with your computer. You can also insert the NCMEC RSS feed into your feed reader to keep abreast of missing children. Stay in tune with Amber alerts, too, either via wireless or other channels. And you can also register to volunteer in your area should a child ever turn up missing; handling out posters, handling phone calls, etc.

Learn more and reach out by writing to: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Charles B. Wang International Children's Building, 699 Prince Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3175 USA. Call them at: (703) 274-3900; or fax: (703) 274-2200; or visit them online at: http://www.missingkids.com . Report any information about kidnapping attempts and parental kidnapping to their 24-hour Hotline by dialing: (800) THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Having a child abducted is the biggest fear a parent can face, and no parent wants to even imagine this situation presenting itself. To assist the authorities with locating a missing child, the use of a child identification kit can speed up the return of a loved one. The first 48 hours are the most critical when it comes to locating and saving a missing child. A preferred Child Identification Kit usually contains the following vital information for your child, recent photos, fingerprints, dental records, hair samples and other pertinent information about your child in one secure and convenient location. This could save the life of a child!

About The Author

Sheri Gray is writer and webmaster for J & S Enterprises an online force in the Personal Self-Defense Products market. Serving the industry since 2004 J & S Enterprises offers the Security Plus Child Protection Kit for the safety of your child. For more information on the products offered by J & S Enterprises and a link to check for Sex Offenders located near you go to: https://www.safeselfdefense.com".