Reasons some children go missing; prevention tips to protect your child
This week alone, law enforcement across multiple counties have reported missing children without family or loved ones knowing where they could be.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Currently, several Charlotte-area families are sharing a common dread all parents fear, not knowing where their child is.
This week alone, law enforcement across multiple counties have reported missing children without family or loved ones knowing where they could be.
Cabarrus County deputies are looking for 16-year-old Kevin Morales-Sigaran, he was last seen leaving his home in Concord on Monday. He attends Mount Pleasant High School and police are urging people to tell them if you know where he could be.
His disappearance comes as a candlelight vigil was held Union County Wednesday night for 16-year-old Lauren Heath.
An emotional evening full of tears, hugs, and longing for Lauren to come home.
She’s a junior at Porter Ridge High School where her dad is an assistant football coach. Heath was seen last Friday leaving her home.
A missing child brings a heavy emotional toll to not only their family but the community.
WBTV talked to the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons on what causes a child to go missing and prevention tips for parents.
The director for the state agency for missing persons said there are three main causes they’re seeing in the state of North Carolina.
Some deal with issues at home, foster care issues and online enticement.
“The seconds, the minutes, the hours that go by, it gets worse. The amount of emotions that comes with this, it’s unexplainable to be honest,” said Derrick Heath, the Father of missing Lauren Heath.
Heath’s parents are puzzled after their 16-year-old daughter left home last Friday and never came back. She was seen on a RING camera walking away.
“We don’t understand what the issue was that led up to this moment on Friday,” said Heath.
WBTV talked to the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons about why children and teens go missing.
Morrissa Ahl-Walters, the Director of North Carolina Center for Missing Persons said, “from what I’ve seen, the majority of cases don’t have a criminal element. The number of true abductions are relatively low, the majority of the cases are those who willing leave their home on their free will.
The state’s Center for Missing Persons points to disagreements with parents, foster care children not liking their placement, and children/teens being enticed by someone online.
Ahl-Walters said, “you have these young minds who are impressionable, and you have adults who take advantage of that, coach them and tell them if you come here, it’ll be so much better and things like that, that we’re seeing an increasing trend on.”
Within 50 miles of Charlotte, about 34 children are missing according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Across the state of North Carolina, there are over 100 missing children, mostly minorities and girls.
“I think part of it is just that vulnerability of being a young girl and all of the challenges of life, plus minorities have some disparities they have to overcome and it is a factor and it does affects our statistics and it shows that minorities are more affected by runaways, online enticement, things like that, more so than non-minority’s,” said Ahl-Walters.
The Center for Missing Persons says chronic runaway teens are generally found within a week, adding some are with a friend or a local hangout spot.
Simple advice from the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons is that parents implement a phone check policy. Parents should make sure there’s a balance of privacy and making sure your child is safe. trouble.
Parents should lookout for unexplained money sent to cashapp cards or gifts given, which could indicate online enticement efforts.
The director of the center tells WBTV if parents start seeing things that are unexplained, dig deeper and ask questions.
“I think the biggest thing is prevention, parenting teenagers is a struggle and sometimes it’s difficult to get through to them and they don’t understand it, and I would say, be proactive. It can be a struggle but keep going and try to keep your kid safe until the brain is completely formed and they can make good decisions.,” said Morrissa Ahl-Walters, Director of North Carolina Center for Missing Persons.
The director suggests showing your child real examples of children going missing and some of the dangers that exist. Be open, honest and don’t sugarcoat the realities of missing children.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons said if your child goes missing, do not wait 24 hours, report it immediately. This helps law enforcement locate them sooner because the search area would be smaller.
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