That if a girl goes missing from school all parents should be alerted immediately.

[FRETGNIKCUF]

So I'm walking to collect my children from an after school club at 4pm.

I meet a parent who asks if I have seen a girl.

She's missing.

I get to school having wondered why I had seen a few teachers looking frantic on my way. All teachers cars are there, a few more arriving.

The girl is not, from the few times I've talked to her, NT.

Surely a text to parents, considering it's a state school and everyone lives close, would be prudent?

When I lost my dd 6, they were ready to instantly seal off the mall.

How do you know they didn't?

I'm not sure what alerting the parent community would achieve.

If the police have already been involved, it's up to them to decide whether and how to issue an appeal for help to the public.

It's not like sealing off a mall, where there are distinct exit points (I expect the school exits were closed/monitored straight away)

Oh hang on, I get you now! A text to all parents, not just the missing child

I think looking for the child is their number one priority!

What so that panic could ensue?

No I don't think that's necessary. Teachers looking, parents of girl informed if they don't already know. Next step police. I don't see what good it would do sending hundreds of parents off in a blind panic, gossiping and speculating wildly.

I am not sure how notifying other parents would help? I sure schools and police must have protocols in place for such situations.

I hope she turns up soon.

Do you mean they should notify every OTHER childs' parents? I get that might be effective in locating a missing child, but surely it causes risks too, not to mention the implication that it is somehow the responsibility of other parents to aid finding the missing child.
I hope she is found soon (if not already)

No I don't. And there could be all sorts of background to why the child is missing that you aren't aware of.

The police will make it public if that is in the best interests of the child.

How old was the child?

Ahhhh.

I was hoping someone would allude to what risks it would present. Thanks

Fair enough.

she's 10/11

Do you mean specifically only if it's a girl? Then YABU. If you meant when any child goes missing then YANBU, if it's set up on a voluntary basis meaning parents could opt in to the program.

At our school if a child is absent without the parent telling the school, the secretary phones the parents to ask why. Then if a child has not turned up for school, the parents are aware.

Has always worked really well.

No, I think that would be a terrible idea. And 9 times out of 10 it would result in lots of parents receiving the text or noticing the text long after the missing child was found, cue endless rounds of panic and miscommunication.

They've probably got someone ringing round the families of her friends.

I hope she turns up soon.

Across.... yes just girls, if it's a boy well they need to man up.

The girl was at school and it was during the school day that she went missing.

When a child goes missing, don't the Police generally prefer to look themselves before enlisting public help? I (maybe naively) think it's because they may notice something - a dropped hairclip, a dropped sweet wrapper for sweets the child was known to have with her that morning etc. etc. - which having lots of frantic adults trampling over the area may have disturbed or pushed away accidentally.

Has the girl been found safely now? I do hope so.

Oh for heaven's sake Across. A child is missing and that child happens to be female.

Do you seriously think the OP would not have reacted in the exact same way had the child been male?

Get a grip.

Has she been found safe and well? Because that's what really matters, isn't it?

I was hoping someone would allude to what risks it would present. Thanks

What do you mean? Why were you hoping that?

The parents might not want everyone to know yet.They will probably have a good idea where to look. First off, the child might be hiding somewhere around the school.

Because I couldn't think of a good reason as to why we hadn't been notified.

Well you obviously could think of a good reason because you said that were hoping that someone would 'allude to what risks it would present' so you'd obviously already thought that yourself