Common Sense Tips for Families Facing Potential Parental Abduction

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that approximately 350,000 children are victims of parental abduction every year. Because many of these abductions occur when parents are separating, divorcing, it is important for parents to be aware of this information.

Civil and criminal remedies do exist for recovering abducted children. The law requires every state to recognize previous custody orders from outside their jurisdiction. Parents should also consider state criminal warrants for the abducting parent. In addition, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of international Child Abduction and felony warrants offer parents tools for recovering a child who is the victim of an international child abduction.

While these options for recovering an abducted child are useful, they are not a guarantee. Parents need to he aware that preventing a parental kidnapping is an ongoing effort. Being prepared is the key to protecting your child. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children suggests the common sense tips set forth below to remember when attempting to prevent a parental abduction.

Keep a complete description of your child: This description must include physical characteristics, plus identifiers such as eyeglasses, braces, or pierced ears or other body parts.

Involve the local police: If a potential abductor has threatened you, your child, or your family in any way, does not hesitate to notify your local police department. And contact a family law attorney. The threat of an abduction may be grounds for an order of protection of other legal relief.

Notify schools, daycare, and babysitters: A certified copy of your custody decree should be on file at your child's school and given to teachers, daycare personnel, and babysitters. Inform them of your concerns about the risk of abduction by the non-custodial parent or anyone else. Instruct them not to allow your child to leave the grounds with anyone except you, your former spouse as designated by the divorce or other court order or someone properly designated as authorized to pickup according to that court order. Be aware, however, that an unfounded accusation against the other parent can have severe consequences. If possible, discuss this issue with a family law attorney before acting.

Record events In a journal: It is important to have factual and easily accessible information when working with law enforcement and/or your attorney. Record threats and other inappropriate behavior and keep your notes in a secure place.

Create a list: The custodial parent should always have a current list of the potential abductors (and relatives) with their addresses, telephone numbers, social security or citizen identification numbers, birth dates, and places of birth.

Take a photograph of your child every month: This photograph should be similar to a passport or school picture. Also, Blockbuster Video offers a child identification video free of charge every year during the month of August.

Teach your child how to use the telephone: Your child should know his or her full name and how to use the telephone to call home. Make sure your child knows the home telephone number including the area code. Practice calling the operator and making collect calls, in addition to long distance and international calls. Teach your child to call home if he or she feels threatened, scared, or is in an unusual situation.

Empower your child: Depending on your child's age, discuss the possibility of a parental abduction. Teach your child how to recognize a friendly adult. Give your child the confidence to approach a police or security officer and ask for help if he or she is going on a trip without you. Consider visiting the airport and pointing out where a child can go for help.

Hopefully, an abduction will not be the result when parents are in conflict. However, informed children are better able to protect themselves and parents can find some relief in knowing that they have prepared themselves and their children as much as possible. In case of an abduction, however, parents should have quick access to the items listed below:

• Several recent photographs of the child (and the other parent if possible).
• A set of the child's fingerprints.
• A list of any scars or unusual physical characteristics, height, weight, hair and eye color.
• List of all passport numbers of the child and the other parent.
• List of drivers license numbers and automobile registrations, serial numbers, type and model of vehicles of the other parent.
• List of credit cards, bank accounts, and social security numbers of the other parent and the child.
• List of information about any other asset that, if not cash, is easily converted into cash such as jewelry, oriental rugs, and expensive camera equipment of the other parent or to which the other parent has access.
• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers, of other parent's family members and close friends.