#ChangeTheVocab my mission to change how missing children are reported

 

As someone who knows and lived the damage of the label “runaway”, my mission is to change the vocabulary we use when a child is MISSING. Whenever we don’t know the whereabouts of any child they are MISSING.

 

 Children can and do leave on their own accord at times, the part we don’t see in the news or on the police reports is why they fled those homes.

 

 Once a child is labeled a “runaway” because of the history of the word being tied to “troubled children” it instantly changes not only the public view but can change how law enforcement investigates the case.

 

Parents/Guardians have used the term “runaway” to cover, slow, and hinder investigations. There are way too many cases we could point to as examples, knowing that alone should be enough for us to want to change the vocabulary around missing children.

 

How we change the vocabulary around missing children is to make sure we are using the #MISSING on every poster, article, and news report we share even when they use “Runaway” we correct it by adding the #MISSING. Through consistency and time we #ChangeTheVocab around missing children. Every single child that’s missing deserves the same care and dedication in being brought home, we can’t allow one word to change that.  

 

We can truly make a difference by simply switching a word. Words have so much power and how we use them matters. Change comes when we force it, so let’s do it, lets changes decades of damage right now #NoMoreRunaway

Erin Reed