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Child Protection Information for Community, Family and

Child Protection Professionals

Best Practice Guides  |  Fact Sheets and Resource Listings  |  Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Information  |  Resources for Families and Community  |  First Responder Resources (Telecommunications, Patrol)  |  Investigative Resources  | International Program Information  | Prosecutors and Judges

Research/Analytics: Endangered, Exploited, Trafficked, Missing and Abducted Children | Recorded Webinars: Child Protection and Community Safety | Sex Offender Management

Best practices that have enhanced the ability of law enforcement and other AMBER Alert partners and stakeholders to safely recover missing and abducted children.

Best practice recommendations and other important considerations for Public Information Officers in working effectively with the media in endangered, missing and abducted child cases.

Provides high-level information on law enforcement's investigative response in relation to incidents of endangered missing and abducted children, and the AMBER Alert Process. The resource discusses key areas for further training, preparation and scenario/skill-based assessment.

Detailed information on the EMA’s background, effective use and important considerations for strategic implementation as one tool for notifying the public in endangered missing cases.

An overview of training and technical assistance offerings with course descriptions.

A high-level summary of AATTAP program efforts and outcomes since inception.

A listing of certified CART Programs organized chronologically by date of certification.

A guide for CART programs wishing to prepare for and receive CART certification from AATTAP and the US DOJ.

A guide for agencies on how to develop, implement and maintain an effective CART program.

What goes into becoming a certified CART? Watch the video highlighting a recent CART Certification. 

Child sex trafficking has been found in every state in the United States and is a serious public and mental health concern. Victims of child sex trafficking report significant health, mental health, and social problems and their support and treatment needs are complex.

The Texas Governor’s Office, in collaboration with local, state, and national partners, held a Community Response to Human Trafficking Symposium in El Paso, Texas. The symposium was intended to collect information from key community stakeholders regarding the region’s current response to human trafficking including; existing protocols, available resources, and priority needs.  The stakeholders were identified by the Texas Governor’s Office and local partners and invited to participate in a one-day event.

The Louisiana Governor’s Office in collaboration with national, state and local partners held a series of nine Regional Community Response to Human Trafficking Symposiums from November 2017 through March 2018. The symposiums were intended to collect information from key community/system stakeholders regarding the regions’ existing services available to human trafficking victims, existing protocols dictating the handling of human trafficking victims, and the overall community response for these victims.

Millions of kids ride a bike, take the bus or walk to school every day. Help get them to and from school more safely by following this checklist.

Published by NCMEC. A checklist of important actions and considerations for families when a child goes missing.

Project ChildSafe® is a nationwide educational program that promotes the safe storage of firearms in the home. The program raises awareness about firearms safety by distributing gun locks and educational material to gun owners.

An overview of threats to the health, wellness, and safety of tribal youth which can put them at risk of becoming missing or being abducted, in order to build awareness and increase prevention efforts.

This pamphlet has been created to identify and educate victims of human trafficking about sexual or labor exploitation and forced labor. If you know someone or if you are a victim of sexual or labor exploitation and forced labor -  this information is necessary for you. The National Line Against Human Trafficking is an organization that is fighting to defend human and labor rights.

A guide for siblings of children who go missing, written from the insights of young people who have experienced a missing or abducted brother or sister.

Published by the US DOJ-OJJDP, this document was developed with and from the experiences and insights of families who have experienced first-hand the trauma of a missing child, and who want to help other parents facing the same overpowering loss.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides a wide range of support services for victims and their families including peer support, reunification assistance, and mental health referrals.

Best practices, model policy and call intake protocols for 911/Emergency Dispatch personnel and patrol first responders when responding to missing and abducted child incidents.

Published by NCMEC in collaboration with AATTAP, the US DOJ-OJJDP and other partners, this 911/Emergency Dispatch Checklist can be used as an operational companion resource to the APCO ANS 1.101.

A Reference Guide for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel in swift yet comprehensive and accurate use of the NCIC system to build, update and manage records in missing and abducted child cases.

Published by NCMEC in collaboration with OJJDP and AMBER Alert. An operational checklist for first responders in missing and abducted child cases.

Model policy published by NCMEC for law enforcement response to missing child incidents.

An addition to the model policy published by NCMEC for law enforcement response to missing child incidents, focusing on important considerations for missing children with special needs.

From AMBER Alert, a pocket guide for law enforcement first responders working in tribal communities designed to help determine when a child is at risk for victimization.

Strategies for finding long-term missing children.

Published by NCMEC, 3^rd Edition, 2006. A guide to assist law enforcement in investigating missing and abducted children cases.

3rd edition of the Child Abduction Response Plan (CARP), and corresponding First Responder checklist. Published 2014 by the FBI, US-DOJ

Published by the US DOJ-OJJDP, NCMEC, and the NCJFCJ. Examines the relationships between runaways and other vulnerable youth, the scope and nature of the crime of child sex trafficking, and important preventative steps law enforcement and the judiciary can take when involved with juvenile justice proceedings.

This report reflects the work of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) as accomplished from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2019.

International parental kidnappings know neither boundaries nor borders. Children are wrongfully taken daily—often by a family member. This guide is for local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who are called upon to respond to the unlawful removal or retention of a child outside of the United States.

Information on developing a framework for a Rapid Emergency Child Alert System, authored by AMBER Alert Europe and International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

Effectively Communicating with Families of Missing or Abducted Children is an hour-long self-study course created in collaboration with the National Judicial College to guide judges in improving the outcomes and experiences for victims and family members who must navigate the justice system as a result of the crimes to which they've been exposed.

Non-fatal strangulation has recently emerged as an important topic in situations involving sexual violence and interpersonal violence due to the risk of lethality and severity of injuries.

Visit NCMEC at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/amber and scroll down to 'AMBER Alert Reports' to view annual statistical reports on the issuance of AMBER Alerts and AMBER Alert programs nationwide.

From Arizona State University's Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (ASU-STIR), Published January 2020:  Criminal records of sex trafficking victims are known barriers to exiting sex trafficking situations. With the purpose of exploring forced criminality, this study examined 467 trick roll cases which are robberies conducted in a prostitution situation perpetrated by the sex seller, during one year in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) is a tool that has been developed and utilized to gain a deeper understanding of the life experiences of homeless young adults, ages 18 to 25. The YES has been administered through four partnering social service agencies for the last seven consecutive years in the state of Arizona. The purpose of the YES study was to determine the gaps in service needs for this particularly vulnerable population and explore how prevalent sex and labor exploitation was as a result of these vulnerabilities. The findings from the YES study have been groundbreaking, providing empirical evidence to demonstrate that homeless persons in the state of Arizona are uniquely vulnerable to sexual and labor exploitation while trying to secure access to basic needs. The year 2020 has presented unique challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional critical barriers to providing services to the most vulnerable clients.

The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) is a study of the experiences of homeless young adults in Arizona that has been conducted for the past six years, from 2014 to 2019. The YES focuses on how the life experiences of Arizona’s homeless young adults (ages 18-25) increases their risk of experiencing human trafficking. The study was conducted in partnership with four agencies from Phoenix and Tucson that provide direct services to homeless persons: Native American Connections, UMOM, one.n.ten of Phoenix, and Our Family Services of Tucson. The findings from the YES study have consistently provided insight into the challenges and needs of Arizona’s homeless young adults to better target needed services as well as the first of its kind knowledge of the scope of the sex and labor exploitation of this population in Arizona.

The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) is a study of the experiences of homeless young adults in Arizona that has been conducted for the past five years, from 2014 to 2018. The YES study focuses on how the life experiences of Arizona’s homeless young adults increases their risk for experiencing human trafficking. The study was conducted in partnership with four agencies from Phoenix and Tucson that provide direct services to homeless persons: Native American Connections, UMOM, one.n.ten of Phoenix, and Our Family Services of Tucson. The findings from the YES study has provided insight about the challenges and needs of Arizona’s homeless young adults to better target needed services as well as the first of its kind knowledge of the scope of the sex and labor exploitation of this population in Arizona.

The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) (4-year study) has been given to a complex and difficult population to assess. Homeless runaway young adults (ages 18 to 25) are difficult to find and can be difficult to engage and there is limited knowledge about their needs and experiences. Given to homeless young adults in both Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona through a small web of homeless youth-targeted service providers, the survey explores their experiences and service needs. Findings have helped to provide insight to service providers and the community about the challenges and needs of Arizona’s homeless young adults, and provides the Arizona community with rich data about the scope and complexity of their needs and challenges, including the sex trafficking experiences of these young people.

Published by the Washington State AG and the US DOJ-OJJDP, this resource details critically-important investigative implications from research on child abduction homicide cases for those responding to missing and abducted child cases.

OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin, June 2016. Summarizes findings on the incidence and characteristics of stereotypical kidnappings of children in 2011 and compares them with 1997 findings.

Published by AMBER Alert in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, this this benchmark report addresses questions regarding what happens to children who went missing and were still missing once they did or would have become adults.

Published by the FBI; November 15, 2017. By Joy Shelton, Mark Hilts, M.S., and Mark MacKizer, M.S.

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit–3 (BAU–3), which addresses crimes against children, analyzed 32 cases of residential child abduction. The findings offer insight to law enforcement officers who handle these cases and initially must consider all potential scenarios, including those involving an intruder.

The United States has seen a powerful resurgence of concern regarding its border security in recent years.  An intersecting issue within border security is that of human trafficking. Issues involving people moving through U.S. international borders and ports of entry are often seen and treated as immigration or human smuggling issues.  Human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking of persons is separated from human smuggling with distinctive legislation, victim profiles, and available services. This report details findings through analysis of the issue at the Mexican and Canadian borders, as well as across the U.S. and provides valuable insights through victim narratives.

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA” or “the Act”), which is title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-248), provides a new comprehensive set of  minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. These Guidelines are issued to provide guidance and assistance to covered jurisdictions—the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the principal U.S. territories, and Indian tribal governments—in implementing the SORNA standards in their registration and notification programs.

Simple questions do not always have easy answers. For example, the answers to, “How many sex offenses are committed each year?” and “How great is an individual’s lifetime risk of being a victim of a sex
crime?” vary greatly depending on the source consulted. Even with the best sources of data, it is extremely difficult to estimate the actual number of sex crimes committed because of low levels of reporting. Sex crimes are not only often unreported, they are often unseen by anyone other than the victim and perpetrator.