We as a nation breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that the six-year-old girl who had gone missing in Johor Bahru has been found. She and her family must be traumatised, and they will need much time and therapy to heal.
Children can go missing for many reasons. Teenagers may choose to leave their homes due to conflicts with parents or guardians. They many also be running away from an abusive environment, from being groomed by a sex predator, from issues at school, or from psychosocial (mental health) issues.
At times, a child may be abducted by a parent during a custody battle. Children with disabilities, particularly those with autism or severe hyperactivity, may wander off unintentionally.
And finally, there is the pre-school child who has been abducted by strangers, kidnapped for a financial motive, or may have wandered off.
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and Home Minister state that there has been no increase in missing persons in recent years. However, PDRM statistics show up to 900 children missing every year, which works out to about two to three per day. Fortunately, they report that the majority (85 to 90 per cent) are eventually found.
I would like to suggest some safety measures to reduce the risk of a pre-school child going missing. This does not apply to teenage runaways or those with a disability, where different measures will be required.
Close Supervision And Devices
In one study that I was involved in at the Clinical Research Centre in Perak, we took note of young children’s safety at shopping complexes.
Of 275 children under five years of age with caregivers, 38 per cent were involved in at least one unsafe monitoring episode. The majority of these children involved out-of-sight or out-of-reach incidents.
Of concern was that many caregivers (55 per cent) allowed their charges to walk on their own without any safety measures (holding hands, carrying, use of stroller, etc).
Many caregivers were distracted by or were engrossed in shopping activities or using their mobile phones.
It is vital that parents and guardians closely supervise children under their care at all times. This is not easy to do in crowded places. Young children can be carried or placed in a shopping trolley seat. Parents should always hold hands with pre-school children or use a safety device that links them to the child.
This could be an adjustable wrist band harness or a toddler chest harness strap. Some people frown on these safety devices, but parents who have used them will attest to their value.
Some parents invest in GPS kid trackers attached to children’s clothing or as a wristband. Some GPS devices also have a built-in SOS button which young kids can press when they find themselves in a dangerous situation.
I would strongly recommend that parents avoid using their phones when out with their children, as this distracts them from supervising their child.
Educate Children By Age Two Or Three On Stranger Danger And Situations
All children should routinely be trained by the age of two to three about the dangers of strangers and to never go with them.
Children aged four to five should also be taught their name, address, parents’ names, and their parents’ phone numbers. It is useful to have this information on the child, attached to a neck or wristband, so that they can show others.
Parents should educate or roleplay with children as to what to do if they are lost or cannot find their parents in a busy environment like a shopping mall. Teach them to approach the staff at the checkout or payment counter to ask for help.
Parental Preparedness
Keep updated photographs of your children for identification purposes and be aware of emergency hotlines.
While we hope and pray that any untoward incident never happens to us, doing some reflection and reading about such incidents will train us to be prepared to prevent them from happening, and act promptly if it ever happens.
Community Support
Members of the public should act if they see a young child wandering around unattended. We should work to find the parents urgently.
The Malaysian public has been most helpful to help disseminate information on missing children. PDRM has the NUR Alert system and a Missing Children Portal. which the public can access.
Bringing up a child in these difficult times is not easy. We can support parents with our vigilance, while we look to the authorities to improve the safety of our environments.
A pre-school programme to train all children on safety would be beneficial.
Dr Amar-Singh HSS is a consultant paediatrician and child disability activist.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
