My HS Friend's 14 year old daughter is missing in Provo

[TooPatient]

Great hear! I'm glad she is home and safe.

 

[monarch64]

So relieved to hear this.

 

[yennyfire]

How wonderful!!! I was thinking about her all morning...as well as the Boston nightmare. So relieved your friends had a happy outcome!!! Thanks for updating us.

+1

 

[jaysonsmom]

Glad she was found safe! It really is a parent's worst nightmare.

She is one tiny 14 year old. my 8 year old daughter is 65 lbs!

 

[amc80]

Glad she was found safe! It really is a parent's worst nightmare.

She is one tiny 14 year old. my 8 year old daughter is 65 lbs!

That's what I thought as well! And only 55 inches!

 

[athenaworth]

Glad she was found safe! It really is a parent's worst nightmare.

She is one tiny 14 year old. my 8 year old daughter is 65 lbs!

That's what I thought as well! And only 55 inches!

She is itty bitty. She's a ballroom dancer (which I think is adorable). She looks EXACTLY like her mom did at that age.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Thank you for the update. Good to here she is safe!!! Sending hugs and dust her way!!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

She was found and she's safe. I don't know any other details just that she's safe. Thank you everyone for your well wishes.

 

[jeweln]

Thanks to God every one's prayers were answered .

 

[Smith1942]

So glad she's safe.

Since she wandered off for the night, and since that's not normal behavior, I wonder if she's suffering from depression or another mood disorder. When people are prone to that due to low serotonin or other physical reasons (and not external life events/stressors) it tends to show up early in life. I hope her parents aren't too hard on her and that they get to the bottom of why she did it.

 

[Enerchi]

So glad she's safe.

Since she wandered off for the night, and since that's not normal behavior, I wonder if she's suffering from depression or another mood disorder. When people are prone to that due to low serotonin or other physical reasons (and not external life events/stressors) it tends to show up early in life. I hope her parents aren't too hard on her and that they get to the bottom of why she did it.

First--- ever so happy to learn she is home safe and sound.

Second-- we lived this a few times w DS#2 and it is truly one of the scariest things to go thru as a parent. A roller coaster of emotions you can't control. My heart goes out o the parents. BDTD. NOT fun. Hugs to them!

Third- totally concur w smiths advice above. I'm sure they will investigate further but getting to the root of "why" helps to find a way to resolve and move forward. Good luck to all involved

 

[perry]

Glad she is safe.

I would not speculate as to any specific cause. A lot of children go out on "adventures" - and a certain percentage of them make it an overnight event.

As scary as the event could have been - the overwhelming majority of "missing" children turn up within in a day or two unharmed. It is the very small minority of cases that do not and become horror stories - which is why we worry so much. I did a quick internet search on statistics - and several sites vary: While approximately 800,000 missing children are reported to police every year. Less than 125 per year turn out to be classic abductions with the resulting horror stories. The overwhelming vast majority (95%+ turn up within a day or so - unharmed and most did not even know that they were considered "missing").

Have a great day,

Perry

 

[Tuckins1]

Thank god!!

 

[Smith1942]

Wow, Perry, I didn't know it was so common for children to go missing overnight and then turn up unharmed. I can't imagine how the parents must feel during that horrendous 24 hours.

 

[athenaworth]

Glad she is safe.

I would not speculate as to any specific cause. A lot of children go out on "adventures" - and a certain percentage of them make it an overnight event.

As scary as the event could have been - the overwhelming majority of "missing" children turn up within in a day or two unharmed. It is the very small minority of cases that do not and become horror stories - which is why we worry so much. I did a quick internet search on statistics - and several sites vary: While approximately 800,000 missing children are reported to police every year. Less than 125 per year turn out to be classic abductions with the resulting horror stories. The overwhelming vast majority (95%+ turn up within a day or so - unharmed and most did not even know that they were considered "missing").

Have a great day,

Perry

I haven't had any real contact with her mom except through FB so I just assumed her family was exactly like her family growing up that I essentially adopted as a teen. I'm not going to ask her why her daughter left beccause if she wants to talk she knows where I am. I just hope that whatever caused her to leave gets fixed.

 

[GemFever]

Glad she is safe.

I would not speculate as to any specific cause. A lot of children go out on "adventures" - and a certain percentage of them make it an overnight event.

As scary as the event could have been - the overwhelming majority of "missing" children turn up within in a day or two unharmed. It is the very small minority of cases that do not and become horror stories - which is why we worry so much. I did a quick internet search on statistics - and several sites vary: While approximately 800,000 missing children are reported to police every year. Less than 125 per year turn out to be classic abductions with the resulting horror stories. The overwhelming vast majority (95%+ turn up within a day or so - unharmed and most did not even know that they were considered "missing").

Have a great day,

Perry

I'm so glad she's home safe.

As for kids disappearing overnight -- my brother did it once in his teens. He tired to cover his tracks by saying he'd be at a friend's house for a sleepover, and instead made a 10-hour drive to see a girl he had a crush on. It ended up alright in the end, but my parents had quite a scare. Teens!

 

[Smith1942]

Glad she is safe.

I'm so glad she's home safe.

As for kids disappearing overnight -- my brother did it once in his teens. He tired to cover his tracks by saying he'd be at a friend's house for a sleepover, and instead made a 10-hour drive to see a girl he had a crush on. It ended up alright in the end, but my parents had quite a scare. Teens!

Bit of an old romantic then, your brother?

 

[Laila619]

So glad she's okay!

 

[GemFever]

Glad she is safe.

I'm so glad she's home safe.

As for kids disappearing overnight -- my brother did it once in his teens. He tired to cover his tracks by saying he'd be at a friend's house for a sleepover, and instead made a 10-hour drive to see a girl he had a crush on. It ended up alright in the end, but my parents had quite a scare. Teens!

Bit of an old romantic then, your brother?

Indeed he is

Sorry to threadjack! But since the child is home safe, I hope it's ok to lighten the mood. Again, I'm so glad she is safe and with her family!!

 

[monarch64]

Glad she is safe.

I would not speculate as to any specific cause. A lot of children go out on "adventures" - and a certain percentage of them make it an overnight event.

As scary as the event could have been - the overwhelming majority of "missing" children turn up within in a day or two unharmed. It is the very small minority of cases that do not and become horror stories - which is why we worry so much. I did a quick internet search on statistics - and several sites vary: While approximately 800,000 missing children are reported to police every year. Less than 125 per year turn out to be classic abductions with the resulting horror stories. The overwhelming vast majority (95%+ turn up within a day or so - unharmed and most did not even know that they were considered "missing").

Have a great day,

Perry

Hi Perry,

I agree, most "missing" kids are found, unharmed, but the fact remains that some of them DO disappear and are either never found, or are not found alive. I think it's still a good idea to treat these cases very seriously and with the idea in mind that something horrible could have happened.

I posted about Lauren Spierer's case almost 2 years ago here in Hangout. She's a college kid who went out partying with friends one night and disappeared. Still missing since June, 2011. She was a 90 lb. girl who had a heart condition she relied on medication for. The case has taken over my community. I have a daughter now, and you can bet your bottom dollar that if she ever goes missing, no matter what the circumstances, I will be doing EVERYTHING in my power from the time she's not where she's supposed to be, to find her. There's really no comfort in knowing that the "overwhelming majority" of cases don't turn into anything. Just the possibility that they could is enough for me to launch an all-out search, whether officials deem it necessary, or not.

My parents were very overprotective, and I stayed out a few nights when I shouldn't have, without calling. Cliche as it is, now I "get" why they were so upset. Losing a child over not reacting quickly or seriously enough? I would live with that guilt for the rest of my life. No, thanks.

 

[perry]

To add to my comment above on the numbers. If I recall what I looked at this morning (I just got home from a long day at work and my memory may not be perfect); there are between 5000 and 7500 children a year who "run away" and do not return to their parents. Most of these do report into one of the various "run away" sites now within a few days or a week so that there are people who know that these children were not abducted or killed. However, the vast majority never return home - and they may never communicate back to their families that they are safe (or at least relatively safe).

I personally know several people who left home between the ages of 14 and 16 because of conditions in their home - and went on to figure out how to provide for themselves and became successful adults with families of their own.

This of course does not take away from the seriousness of the very small percentage that turn out badly. I understand the need for the Amber law.

Have a great day,

Perry