JUST IN CASE

The "Just in Case" series is distributed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Excerpts are provided by the Port Orange Police Department by permission, in accordance with the NCMEC Reprint Policy.

The publications in the "Just in Case" series are designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children distributes these publications, and the Port Orange Police Department reproduces their content, with the understanding that neither agency is engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Did You Know that…

	Teenagers 12-17, especially GIRLS, are the most victimized segment of the population in the United States?¹ Everybody thinks it happens to little kids. Well, it doesn’t. It happens to you and your friends and kids you know at school. Sometimes it happens and nobody finds out because no one talks about it. That’s WRONG. If it happens to you, talk about it with an adult you trust.
	Adults who abduct and molest kids, mainly do so for two reasons? You know what they are? Control and sex. And you may have already figured out that some people you know, adults and even guys your own age, could be interested in you for the same thing.

Here Are Some Facts

	Teenagers and girls are among the most frequent victims of sexual attacks.²
	Two-thirds of imprisoned sexual assault offenders reported that their victims were younger than the age of 18.³
	Sixty-one percent of all rape victims are younger than 18.⁴
	Thirty-two percent of all rape victims are 11-18 years of age.⁵
	The average victim of abduction and murder is an approximately 11-year-old girl who is described as a "low-risk," "normal" kid from a middle-class neighborhood with a stable family relationship who has initial contact with an abductor within a quarter of a mile of her home.⁶

So What Are THE RULES?

	Rule 1 DON'T GO OUT ALONE. There is safety in numbers and this rule isn't just for little kids; it applies to everyone. We are always safer if we take a friend, sister, or brother.
	Rule 2 ALWAYS TELL AN ADULT WHERE YOU ARE. Letting someone know where you'll be at all times is smart. If you're ever faced with a risky situation or get into trouble, your family and friends will know where to find you.
	Rule 3 SAY NO IF YOU FEEL THREATENED. If someone - anyone - touches you in an way that makes you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to say no. Whether it is peer pressure about sex, drugs, or doing something that you know is wrong, be strong and stand your ground. Don't be afraid to make your feelings known.

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These are rules to live by. Rules that remind you, like a little voice inside you that says HEY, do I really want to do this? Do I really want to go there? These are your rules for life. We know, these rules are pretty BASIC, pretty common sense. Yeah, yeah, you've heard them a million times, but have you ever really LISTENED to them? Have you ever really thought about what they mean? We are going to talk about three girls. You may be thinking, "I know this stuff, but it can't happen to me." Well, it can happen to you and girls just like you, just like it happened to these three girls. Here are their stories...

Laura Smither - Friendswood, Texas

Laura Smither was a bright, loving 12 year-old who trusted her friends. She was cautious about strangers and new situations. She was smart and aware of her surroundings, which made her kidnapping unthinkable to her friends. She lived in a small town where everyone felt safe, in a neighborhood where everyone knew each other. Crime is often like that - we always think that it happens somewhere else. After Laura's abduction, several of her friends told her parents, "If this could happen to Laura, of all people, it could happen to anyone; it could happen to me!"

On April 3, 1997, as her mom was making breakfast, Laura went out alone for a quick jog in her rural neighborhood. She never returned. A massive local, regional, and national search was conducted for her. Laura's remains were found 17 days later about 20 miles from her home.

What can we learn from Laura's story? She was wise and careful and like her friends, she thought that she was safe in her own hometown. That's the way we all wan to grow up, but we have to KNOW THE RULES.

Rule 1 DON'T GO OUT ALONE. THINK ABOUT IT before you go. Remember that if you can avoid situations that put you at risk in the first place, you're already one step ahead.

Maria de Los Angeles Martinez - Phoenix, Arizona

Maria Martinez was 17 years old in 1990 when she decided she wanted to earn some extra money. So, she advertised over a local radio station in Phoenix for a babysitting job. A man responded to her ad, came to pick her up one morning, and she has not been seen since.

Rule 2 ALWAYS TELL AN ADULT WHERE YOU'RE GOING. Not long after the man picker Maria up, she made a nervous telephone call to her parents asking them to come and get her, but before she could give them an address, the telephone was disconnected. Again, THINK ABOUT IT. NEVER< EVER go somewhere with someone you don't know. This includes hitching rides. This includes babysitting for anyone without getting information about the family, like where they live and even some references about them, FIRST. Leave a telephone number and an address with your family BEFORE you go.

Summer Nix - Spartanburg, South Carolina

Thirteen-year-old Summer started surfing the Internet in May of 1996 with a 15-year-old girlfriend. When her friend met an older guy in a chat room called The Vampire Pub, Summer thought it was like an online game. But then they began to plan to run away together and pressured Summer to join them. Summer and her older friend hit the road with their newfound 18-year-old cyber pal on August 13, 1996. It was a journey Summer would never forget.

It took 72 hours for Summer to realize she'd made a big mistake and that she wanted to go home. On August 20, she called the police from a pay telephone in Nevada to ask for help. Summer is safe at home now, but wishes she'd followed her own intuition. All she left behind when she ran was a handwritten note to her mom, apologizing and promising she'd be back.

Rule 3 SAY NO IF YOU FEEL THREATENED. Girls face a lost of situations today that put them in uncomfortable spots. You're constantly having to make decisions for yourself and are faced with peer pressure about anything from who your friends are - male or female - to exposure to drugs and sex. One more time, THINK ABOUT IT. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. Listen to your intuition and follow your best judgment. If your friends are making bad decisions, you don't have to. Have the confidence to say NO if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable about anything.

So Know the Rules,	*Just in Case You...*
	Want to better protect yourself from rape and assault
	Have a friend who has been victimized
	Are thinking about running away
	Work with or supervise children
	Lose a friend or family member
	Need professional help
	Have been victimized
	Are testifying in court
	Are babysitting
	Are online

End Notes

Bureau of Justice Statistics Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics—1996. Washington, D.C.: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, pages 210-211.
Ibid.
Sex Offenses and Offenders. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, February 1997, page iii.
Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. Arlington, Virginia: National Victim Center, April 23, 1992, page 3.
Ibid.
Kenneth A. Hanfland, Robert D. Keppel, and Joseph G. Weis. Case Management for Missing Children Homicide Investigation: Executive Summary. Olympia, Washington: Office of the Attorney General State of Washington and U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, May 1997, page 2.