Evaluate the effectiveness of the Amber Alert program

Overview: President Bush signed legislation on Wednesday that encourages states to implement a national Amber Alert system. The law, called the "Protect Act of 2003," builds on what the president calls "an increasingly important tool in rescuing kidnapped children."

After students read "Bush signs law encouraging national Amber Alert system" present the following:

RESOURCES • CNN.com: Bush signs child protection bill  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children  • Polly Klass Foundation: Amber Alert Now  • Bridgewater Review: "The Culture of Fear  • Review: "The Culture of Fear"

1. What bill regarding the protection of children did President George W. Bush sign into law on Wednesday? What is the purpose of the law? What is the Amber Alert system and how does it work? How will the 10 million dollars provided by the law be used by various states? How does this new law seek to deter child abductions?

2. What is the origin of the name "Amber Alert"? How is an Amber Alert broadcast? Why do you think the Amber Alert system has been successful in California? Explain.

3. According to the story, since 1996, how many children have been found nationwide as a result of Amber Alerts? How does this number compare with the number of children reported missing nationwide every year? What accounts for the majority of missing children reported every year? Do you think the Amber Alert is more effective in certain cases of missing children than in others? Explain.

4. What concerns do law enforcement officials have regarding the use of the Amber Alert system? How might the Amber Alert system be abused? What impact might the abuse of the system have on the recovery of missing children?

5. Who is Barry Glassner? In the video, Glassner states, "The problem here is we're giving the sense to everybody in America...that this is a really big problem, this is something that happens all the time, when really, it's a very rare problem." What do you think he means by this statement? What is Glassner's main concern about broadcasting information about missing children? Do you agree with his concern that Amber Alerts instill unrealistic fears in children and parents regarding kidnapping? Explain. Do you think his concern outweighs the potential benefits of the Amber Alert system? Why or why not?

6. Divide students into groups and direct them to the Web sites provided and other resources to learn more about Amber Alerts and how the system has been implemented in various states. Have groups create a chart to track the implementation of Amber Alerts in three different states. Pose the following questions to guide the groups' research:

• What are three states where Amber Alerts have been implemented?

• What criteria must be fulfilled before law enforcement officials will issue an Amber Alert in each state?

•  What methods does each state use to broadcast an Amber Alert?

•  In what ways do you think the implementation of a national Amber Alert law will assist each state with its Amber Alert program?

After groups report their findings to the class, ask: Which states do you think currently have the best system in place? Why? What criteria for issuing Amber Alerts do you think the national program should use? Explain.