It is imperative to look for your runaway teen immediately after noticing the absence. Dial 911 at once and file a police report right away. Keep a record of the police officerís name with the badge number and telephone and fax numbers too. Keep yourself aware of the officer conducting necessary investigation. The first forty-eight hours are the most crucial for locating your runaway teen. You have to inform the Sheriffís department and the police of nearby states too.
Locate and contact friends of your teen. Ask them to inform you of any details of your runaway teen as soon as they know. Inquire if any of your teenís friends are also missing. Probably some of them are together. Go to your teenís school, talk to the teachers and other staff. Also, check through your childís lockers and desks at school.
Enter description of your teen at the FBIís National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer. You could also check your home computer for any details of planned meetings or any other online contacts. Also, contact teen runaway hotlines and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Keep your teen's room closed and locked. Do not touch anything and help the police to conduct their investigation of your runaway teen. Keep a record of all details of persons you contact for information with the time of contact and name of persons talked to. Also, check your telephone bills in the recent past to locate any new and unknown distance calls.
Contact runaway teen shelters in your area and give details of your teen with photograph. You could also scout the hospitals, nursing homes, clinic, drug treatments centers, and other possible locations. Announce a reward for anyone offering clues and leads to your teen.
Anyway, maintain your calm even after reporting your runaway teen. Although this a difficult proposition, it is essential to think rationally and take appropriate and necessary decisions. You could also install a caller ID on your personal phone to keep a tab on all the calls you receive. This could lead you to your teen.
Resources:
Help for Parents With Troubled Teens
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