Topic : Missing
Children
Central
Idea :
The factors of missing children and the preventions for missing children
Main
Points:
i.
The internal factor of missing children.
ii.
The external factor of missing children.
iii.
The prevention for missing children.
Introduction
1.
Attention
Getter:
“Quick, share this post! Help find this child in the
picture! Tell everyone and call this number if you’ve seen this child!” We’ve
seen these statements in social medias such as Facebook for many times. Along
it will be pictures of missing children and the contact numbers if ever you
have any information about them. What happened to these children? Why would
such things happen in the first place?
2.
Reveal
Topic:
Today, I would like to share with you a little about
missing children.
3.
Credibility
Statement:
I was interested in this topic because of the shocking
event of the 8 year old child, Nurin
Jazlin Jazimin going missing and was later found dead almost after a month. I
have read through articles on the internet to find out more about missing
children.
4.
Relevancy
Statement:
In the Laws of
Malaysia, Act 611, Child Act 2001, the definition of child is “a person
under the age of eighteen years”. I believe that children are the future of the
nation. Each and every child has a right to be given a safe and secure
environment, which all of us, including you, has a part in this responsibility.
5.
Preview:
I shall explain about the internal factor of missing
children, the external factor of missing children and the prevention for
missing children.
Connective: So,
let us start off with: What is the internal factor of missing children?
Body
I.
The
internal factor of missing children.
Children have the thought of looking for job
opportunities. Coming from poverty, there are children who are struggling to
keep their roof over their heads. Children should be receiving education in a
school instead of working. According to the Laws
Of Malaysia, Act 350, Children and young Persons (Employment) Act 1966,
young person who are employed under the approval of the Director General cannot
work for more than eight hours in a day, or if the person is still studying,
the period including the school time should be less than eight hours. Yet, education
is not their priority, survival is. These children are willing to sacrifice
their education because they have to quit studying to work for the family. Children
go to the limits to find a job, even travelling to different states. They may
not know the dangers of going out alone without their parents’ consent. They
are putting themselves in a dangerous position by being vulnerable with
unfamiliar people and environments.
Children feel that they should seek attention. They
feel that they are lacking attention from people around them. These children
were not taught to love themselves or have low self esteem. They are given the
impression that they should be rebels so that they are given attention. They
feel ignored by people around them. A study done by Salina Nen and her
colleagues under Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Missing Children and Parental Struggle: from Chaos to Coping mentioned
that children who are chronic runaways often use running away to manipulate or
gain power in the family.
Connective: Next,
I’ll share with you about the external factor of missing children.
II.
The
external factor of missing children
Family is an external factor of missing children. Children
are abused at home. These children are not given a warm and loving home. They
runaway from home because of physical, emotional or sexual abuse by their own
family members. Sometimes, these family members have substance or alcohol abuse
problem. Children are abducted by parent who is going through a divorce. According
to statistics on children reported missing and found in each state from January
to July 2007 by PDRM, retrieved from the online article Missing Children: Should Parents be Charged? By Selvarani in New
Sunday Times website, this happens more often to children below the age of
nine. Parents may have to fight for children custody during the divorce process.
Friends is an external factor of missing children. Missing
children are often influenced by bad company. Based on the study by Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia, Understanding the Factors of Children
Missing/Running Away from Home in Malaysia by Khadijah Alavi and her team
from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, out of 104 missing children cases, 27
children admitted that their friends told them to not go back home. Missing
children happen because of following a lover. We’re in Love, Says Malaysian Runaway in The Star website on the 6th
of June 2012 by Ivan Loh, it was reported that a 13-year-old girl had gone missing
for 3 days after she had dated a 16-year-old boy for a month. Her family
persuaded her to go back home but it was no use. Due to this, her boyfriend’s
family had to involve the police.
Connective:
Lastly, I shall share with everyone of the prevention for missing children.
III.
The
prevention for missing children.
Prevention that is centered on internal factors. Let children
know of ways to help the family income besides working. Children are given
information on government aids or scholarships offered by various organizations.
Government aids such as Poor Students’ Trust Fund (PSTF) provides about RM 200
to RM 300 per year for students who come from low income families as shown in
the Ministry of Education article about PSTF on the 24th of December
2012. Let children know that education is not a privilage, it is a right for
them. Children should be taught to be confident, to have self-esteem and to
love themselves. Moral and civic education is taught in school for that reason.
Motivational camps and activities are held regularly for children. As what I’ve
seen in UMT, there is a program named “Bakti Siswa” that is held by the
Baratham Cultural Club yearly at different schools. The program aims to build
good character in primary and secondary school students.
Prevention that is centered on external factors. Report
of any abused children. In the UNICEF Malaysia website, under the article
titled Report Abuse, it mentioned if
you ever find that a child is being abused,
then you should report it through Talian Nur, also known as Childline,
the number being 15999. You should give information of the place of the child
who is being abused, the type of abuse, either it’s physical, emotional or
sexual and the abuser. Parents, neighbours and the school can help each other
in preventing missing children. They should be aware of their children’s
whereabouts and friends. Counselors should talk to parents and their children
when they are having a tough time communicating to each other.
Conclusion
Review
of Main Points:
Today, we discussed about the internal factor of
missing children, the external factor of missing children and the prevention
for missing children.
Restate
Thesis:
Missing children is caused by many different factors
and can be prevented with the cooperation of all parties.
Closure:
We are a part of the community and society. Missing
children is not only their parents’ problems, it’s not the authorities’
problem, it’s not the government’s problem. It is a problem that we all need to
acknowledge and do our best to stop.
Bibliography
Online
Journal:
1. Khadijah,
A., Salina, N., Mohd, S. M., Norulhuda, S., Fauziah, I., Suzana, Mohd H. (2013,
December 5). Understanding the Factors of Children Missing/Running Away from
Home in Malaysia. UTM Press. Retrieved
from
http://www.jurnalteknologi.utm.my/index.php/jurnalteknologi/article/view/1651/1907
2. Salina,
N., Khadijah, A., Fauziah, I., Suzana, Mohd H., Norulhuda, S. (2013, October
29). Missing Children and Parental Struggle: From Chaos to Coping. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.
Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/5663532/Missing_Children_and_Parental_Struggle_From_Chaos_to_Coping
Online
Government Publication:
3. Commissioner
of Law Revision, Malaysia. (2006). Laws Of Malaysia, Act 611, Child Act 2001. Commissioner of Law Revision, Malaysia. Retrieved
from http://www.agc.gov.my/Akta/Vol.%2013/Act%20611.pdf
4. Commissioner
of Law Revision, Malaysia. (2006). Laws Of Malaysia, Act 350, Children and
young Persons (Employment) Act 1966. Commissioner
of Law Revision, Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.agc.gov.my/Akta/Vol.%207/Act%20350.pdf
5. Malaysian
Ministry of Education. (2012, December 24). The Poor Students' Trust Fund
(PSTF). Malaysian Ministry of Education.
Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.my/en/kwapm
Online
Newspaper Article:
6. Loh
I. (2012, June 06). We’re in Love, Says Malaysian Runaway. Asia News Network (The Star). Retrienved from
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/06/we-re-love-says-malaysian-runaway.html
7.
P. Selvarani, Vihandran A. ,
Gomez J. (2007, September 23). Missing children: Should parents be charged? New Sunday Times. Retrieved from http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/news_features/news_focus_missing_children_should_parents_be_charged_.html
Online Article:
8. UNICEF Malaysia. (2012). Report Abuse. UNICEF Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/campaigns_getonboard-report-child-abuse.html
NICEE ONE UNNI. I CAN TOTALLY SEE THE HARDWORK U DID THERE. :D
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