Organization:National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

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National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC
NCMEC logo.png
FormationJune 13, 1984; 40 years ago (1984-06-13)
Location
  • United States
Patty Wetterling

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the President of the United States reauthorized the allocation of $40 million in funding for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as part of Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013.[1] The current chair of the organization is child safety advocate Patty Wetterling, mother of Jacob Wetterling.[2]

History

Founding and early years

The formation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was spurred by notable child abductions, such as the 1979 abduction of six-year-old Etan Patz from New York City, and the 1981 abduction and murder of six-year-old Adam Walsh from a shopping mall in Hollywood, Florida. Because police had the ability to record and track information about stolen cars, stolen guns, and even stolen horses with the FBI's national crime computer, it was believed that the same should be done to find child victims and the procurers who exploited them.[3]

In 1984, the U.S. Congress passed the Missing Children's Assistance Act, which established a National Resource Center and Clearinghouse on Missing & Exploited Children. On June 13, 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children was formed by President Ronald Reagan in a White House ceremony to maintain those resources. The national 24-hour toll-free missing children's hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST, was also established.[4]

Primarily funded by the Justice Department, the NCMEC acts as an information clearinghouse and resource for parents, children, law enforcement agencies, schools, and communities to assist in locating missing children and to raise public awareness about ways to prevent child abduction, child sexual abuse and child pornography. John Walsh, Noreen Gosch, and others advocated establishing the center as a result of frustration stemming from a lack of resources and a national coordination between law enforcement and other government agencies.[citation needed]

The Center provides information to help locate children reported missing (by parental abduction, child abduction, or running away from home) and to assist physically and sexually abused children. In this resource capacity, the NCMEC distributes photographs of missing children and accepts tips and information from the public. It also coordinates these activities with numerous state and federal law enforcement agencies.[5][6][7]

During the mid to late 1980s, the toy Teddy Ruxpin became the "Official Spokesbear" for the center at the height of his popularity.[8] Due to this partnership, some stories featured extra information for kids to stay safe from abductions, sexual predators, etc. This also caused his animated series to feature a clip titled "Protect Yourself" in which safety information for kids would be given by then popular child actors. The relationship with the Teddy Ruxpin bear ended when it was revealed that the toy was being produced by child labor.

In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the President of the United States voted to reauthorize $40 million in funding for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as part of Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 3092; 113th Congress).[1]

The Center not only specializes in locating missing children, but identifying the deceased. There are a number of unidentified decedents in the country, some of which are children, teenagers and young adults. Like missing children, posters are created for the cases and, is possible, show forensic facial reconstructions of the subject that show an estimation of their appearance while alive.[9] The reconstructions that the NCMEC creates have been regarded to be state-of-the-art and have been stated to have been mistaken for photographs.[10]

On April 6, 2018 it was announced in Forbes magazine that the United States Department of Justice had seized and shutdown the website of frequent nemesis of NCMEC, Backpage.com, on the grounds that it had frequently facilitated human trafficking. NCMEC released a statement: "The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children just learned that Backpage.com was seized by the FBI, IRS, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with analytical assistance from the Joint Regional Intelligence Center. This is another step in the years-long fight against the exploitation of child victims who were bought and sold for sex on Backpage.com. #NCMEC is waiting alongside the rest of the world to see what will come next. We stand by the victims and their families as they process this news and continue to fight for justice against those who profited from their abuse. #SexTrafficking.[11]

Applications to the US seeking return of children

Alicia Kozakiewicz at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's headquarters in Alexandria, VA

Effective September 5, 1995, applications seeking the return of or access to children in the US under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction were processed through the NCMEC for the US Department of State, Office of Children's Issues under contract with the US Department of State and the US Department of Justice. On April 1, 2008, the US Office of Children's Issues re-assumed U.S. Central Authority duties for processing incoming cases under the Hague Abduction Convention.[12] As a result of its status as a government contractor as well as funding provided under the Missing Children Act and Missing Children's Assistance Act, the NCMEC received ((As of 2008)) US$40-million funding each year from the US Government.[13]

International

In 1998, the NCMEC Board of Directors approved the creation of a separate international organization, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC); the two now act as sister organizations.[14][15][16][17] ICMEC combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction.[18][19][20][21] ICMEC held its first Board of Directors meeting in 1998.[22] It was officially launched in April 1999.[17][23]

According to data compiled by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, between 2011 and 2015, 45 percent of children reported missing in America were found after being missing between six and 11 months; 27 percent were found when missing for between one and two years; 19 percent when missing for between two and five years; 5 percent between six and 10 years; 3 percent when missing between 11 and 20 years; and only 1 percent of missing children and found when missing for over 20 years.[24]

ICMEC—along with NCMEC—runs a global missing children's network of 22 countries. ICMEC has trained law enforcement personnel from 121 countries, works with law enforcement in over 100 countries, and has worked with legislatures in 100 countries to adopt new laws combating child pornography. ICMEC also encourages the creation of national operational centers built on a public-private partnership model, and leads global financial and industry coalitions to eradicate child sexual exploitation and child pornography. The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy is the International Centre's research arm. In August 2008, ICMEC was granted "Special Consultative Status" by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to assist the UN with its expertise regarding child sexual exploitation and child abduction.[25] ICMEC also works with the intergovernmental organization INTERPOL, the inter-continental organization the Organization of American States (the OAS), and the Hague Conference on Private International Law.[26]

NCMEC is an associate of PACT Parents and Abducted Children Together in the United Kingdom.[27]

Publications

In 2007 NCMEC and Duracell along with the public relations firm PainePR produced a children's book title The Great Tomato Adventure: A Story About Smart Safety Choices along with a series of educational tools for parents and guardians of older children called Teachable Moments Guides. The books were produced and published by Arbor Books and the foreword was written by actress, and best-selling children's book author, Jada Pinkett Smith. Both tools were introduced as an extension of the successful child safety program that launched in 2006. The book was made available as a free download via the Power of Parents program website.[28]

Notable board and staff members

  • Ernie Allen, former President and CEO
  • Dennis DeConcini, former United States Senator

See also

  • AMBER Alert
  • Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP)
  • Child abduction
  • Child abduction alert system
  • Code Adam
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • U.S. Secret Service
  • Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography
  • International child abduction
  • Kidnapping
  • National Child Victim Identification Program
  • National Missing Children's Day
  • United States Children's Bureau

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "H.R.3092 - E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013". Archived from the original on 2014-08-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20140821114112/http://www.opencongress.org/bill/hr3092-113/show. 
  2. ↑ "Patty Wetterling". http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/PressKit_PattyWetterling.pdf. Retrieved September 3, 2016. 
  3. ↑ Profiles in Evil ISBN:978-0-70885449-5 p. 62
  4. ↑ "The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children". missingkids.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20121029010231/http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=4362. 
  5. ↑ missingkids.com
  6. ↑ amberalert.gov
  7. ↑ ncjrs.gov
  8. ↑ Clarity, James F.; Weaver Jr, Warren (1985-09-26). "BRIEFING; All Hail Bear". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/26/us/briefing-all-hail-bear.html. 
  9. ↑ Rodewald, Adam (5 August 2013). "Unidentified murder victim a 'total nightmare' case for detectives". Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714184728/http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20130804/FON019804/308040064/Unidentified-murder-victim-total-nightmare-case-detectives. Retrieved 9 July 2015. 
  10. ↑ "Missing children group talks about creating sketch for Deer Island girl". My Fox Boston (Fox News). 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710003101/http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/29485719/group-talk-sabout-sketch-for-deer-island-girl. Retrieved 9 July 2015. 
  11. ↑ Cite Web|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2018/04/06/doj-seizes-backpage-com-weeks-after-congress-passes-sex-trafficking-amp |Title=DOJ Seizes Backpage.com.|date=02017 |access date=2018-04-06
  12. ↑ "Bringing Hague Return Proceedings in the United States". http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=213. Retrieved 2010-08-12. 
  13. ↑ "NCMEC Press Release". http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=3701. 
  14. ↑ "Missing Children Website". Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20150315033044/http://icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet. 
  15. ↑ "National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Law & Legal Definition". uslegal.com. http://definitions.uslegal.com/n/national-center-for-missing-and-exploited-children/. 
  16. ↑ "Missing Children Organizations; ICMEC (International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children)". Find Madeleine. http://www.findmadeleine.com/missing_children/missing-children-organisations.html. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "The Creation of ICMEC". ICMEC. Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205172049/http://www.icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_X1&PageId=3284. 
  18. ↑ Donald F. Sprague (2012). Investigating Missing Children Cases: A Guide for First Responders and Investigators. CRC Press. pp. 167–68. ISBN 1439860637. https://books.google.com/books?id=s7oM6P0ur7wC&pg=PA167. 
  19. ↑ Babak Akhgar; Andrew Staniforth; Francesca Bosco (2014). Cyber Crime and Cyber Terrorism Investigator's Handbook. Syngress. p. 138. ISBN 0128008113. https://books.google.com/books?id=GR2kAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA138. 
  20. ↑ "Contact Us". ICMEC. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20150214011106/http://icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_X1&PageId=1729. 
  21. ↑ "About the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children". ICMEC. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20150214011102/http://icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_X1&PageId=1222. 
  22. ↑ "Weekends in the Hamptons, weekdays in Manhattan". New York Social Diary. June 22, 2010. http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/party-pictures/2010/weekends-in-the-hamptons-weekdays-in-manhattan. 
  23. ↑ Christopher Meyer (2011). DC Confidential. Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 1780220774. https://books.google.com/books?id=s1w6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT79&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=icmec%20. 
  24. ↑ "National Expert Gives Opinion on Mendocino County Cold Case IDs". ukiahdailyjournal.com. http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/article/NP/20160205/NEWS/160209921. 
  25. ↑ "INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN GRANTED SPECIAL STATUS WITH UNITED NATIONS". August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080930051127/http://www.icmec.org/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_X1&PageId=3772. 
  26. ↑ Rhona Schuz (2014). The Hague Child Abduction Convention: A Critical Analysis. A&C Black. pp. 82–83. ISBN 1782253084. https://books.google.com/books?id=0ozqAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&sig=JpI_DAJxPlvlpsnRLNprAm49y-c&ved=0CL8BEOgBMBs#v=onepage&q=icmec%20hague. 
  27. ↑ gpdg.co.uk
  28. ↑ The Great Tomato Adventure: A Story About Smart Safety Choices

External links




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