AN EPILOGUE FROM REALITY (Part 1: #MissingChildren)
A child is missing when it falls off the ‘normal radar’ such as the school or foster care system, when a parent or guardian no longer knows where that child is, and law enforcement cannot locate that child. In the United States, the Officer of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimates that a child goes missing every 40 seconds. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that roughly 2,000 children in the United States go missing every day, in a country that professes to love its children and to take care of them.
In the State of Washington alone, the Missing Children Clearinghouse estimates that over 20,000 children per year go missing. #WashingtonStateMissingChildren claims “Dozens of children go missing from Washington State and most of them don’t get an Amber Alert.” Also, in Washington State as of December 2013, there are over 354 children still on the Missing Children’s List after five to ten years of being gone.
A high percentage of children living on the streets are LGBTQ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) children who have been kicked out by their parents for their sexual orientation. All street children are at risk for exploitation through prostitution, sexual tourism, pornography, and #human #trafficking.
This graph is from an article on: http://www.thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/12/515641/study-40-percent-of-homeless-youth-are-lgbt-family-rejection-is-leading-cause/
We can, and must, work together to keep all of our children safe.
Next week, in Part 2 of An Epilogue From Reality, I will explore some of the other reasons children go missing.
The issue of missing children is the driving reason behind my writing of Street Harvest, Book 2, Special Crimes Team, to be released this spring.
Stay tuned to this blog for updates on Street Harvest.
Or visit me on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar I have shared some important videos dealing with children from such sites as UpWorthy. I do hope you will drop by and view them. Or stop by for a laugh. I often share wonderful photos that will bring a smile to your face.
Or visit my author’s page: http://www.facebook.com/AyaWalksfarAuthor for updates on my upcoming books and links to important videos and articles.
You can also relax with photos on Pinterest. Have some nice scenic ones, inspirational ones, and, of course, the animals. http://www.pinterest.com/ayawalksfar .