The Amber Alert came into being when the community of Arlington, Texas got together to create the Amber (America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response) program following the 1996 kidnapping and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman. Citizens wanted to prevent future abductions and increase children’s safety in their community.
An amber alert woke me at five o’clock. Our hearts go out to the family dealing with abduction. We hope it ends well.
We wonder or maybe some of us know how relationships get so bad, so hurtful that all we want to do is hurt the other person. Seventy-five percent of child abductions are by family members.
Sometimes the parent is accused by the other parent of abducting a child they didn’t abduct. Are they just trying to cause trouble or did they really believe their child was in danger?
Amber alerts are not issued lightly. There are specific guidelines in place in each province that determines when police issue an Amber Alert.
When is an amber alert activated?
The law enforcement agency believes a child under 18 years of age has been abducted.
The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger.
There is enough descriptive information about one or more of the following – the child, the abductor, and/or the vehicle, which is sufficient to allow the law enforcement agency to believe that an immediate broadcast alert will help in locating the child.
Why do parents abduct their own children? The Polly Klaas Foundation gives four reasons:
To force a reconciliation or continued interaction with the left-behind parent.
To spite or punish the other parent.
Fear of losing custody or visitation rights.
In rare cases to protect the child from a parent who is perceived to molest, abuse, or neglect the child.
These reasons are given when parental child abduction might be a risk.
The other parent has threatened abduction or has actually abducted the child in the past.
Is suspected of abuse, and these suspicions are supported by family and friends.
Is paranoid delusional or severely sociopathic.
Is a citizen of another country and is ending a mixed-culture marriage.
Feels alienated from the legal system, and has family/social support in another community.
Have no strong ties to the child’s home locale.
Has no job, is able to work anywhere, and is not financially tied to the area.
Is planning to quit a job, sell a home, closing bank accounts, applying for passports, obtaining school or medical records.
We wish we could help.
It must be so hard for parents going through these kinds of relationship breakdowns. Every time the child visits the other parent do they worry? How do we not let worry take over our lives?
Most families navigate their separations trying to do the best they can for their children. They continue to make sacrifices for their children and try to keep a good relationship with the other parent. Even though the parent’s relationship with each other is broken they try not to make their children suffer more than they need to.
Did we all felt this morning “What can we do?” at least until we are up and out of our house? They are trying to reach the one person that may be able to make a difference. They are hoping someone recognizes the fleeing pair. Maybe someone will, we all hope this situation ends well. That everyone ends up safe.
If we were in this situation we would want help. We hope the Amber Alert reaches someone who can.
I pray as I write this good news about this abduction is coming soon.
The Amber alert had a good ending. When the mother realised the police were looking for her she turned herself in. There is a story there but we don’t know what it is. The little boy is safe, that’s what matters.
Thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you will come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
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