U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

You’re Not Alone
 

The Journey 

from Abduction 

to Empowerment 

You’re Not Alone
 

The Journey 

from Abduction 

to Empowerment 
U.S. Department of Justice
 

Office of Justice Programs
 

810 Seventh Street, NW. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Michael B. Mukasey 

Attorney General 

Jeffrey L. Sedgwick 

Acting Assistant Attorney General 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Office of Justice Programs 

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

Office of Juvenile Justice and 


Delinquency Prevention
 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp 

This document was prepared by Fox Valley 

Technical College under cooperative agreement 

number 2005–MC–CX–K116 from the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

(OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. 

Department of Justice. 

Points of view or opinions expressed in this 

document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies 

of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice 

Programs, which also includes the Bureau of 

Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 

the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for 

Victims of Crime. 

This edition is the first printing. 
INTRODUCTORY LETTER 

I want you to know how happy we are that you have returned home. I also want you to know 

that you are not alone. 

Every day, in communities across the country, children are abducted by people they know, 

by family members, by people they have met on the Internet, by acquaintances, and by 

complete strangers. It is estimated that more than one million children are reported missing 

each year. Fortunately, many of these children return home safely within a short period of 

time. Unfortunately, some do not return at all. And some children who return face major 

obstacles in their road to recovery and healing. 

Several years ago, the Department of Justice, through its Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), pledged itself to helping the victims of abduction, whether 

it be the families, the siblings left behind, or the children themselves. We have created resources to help these families cope with the aftermath of abduction and begin the healing process. 

With the assistance of family members who have experienced firsthand the abduction of a 

child, OJJDP created a guide for families of missing and abducted children, titled When Your 

Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide—one of the resources most widely requested and 

used by families of missing and abducted children. In 2006, we created What About Me? 

Coping With the Abduction of a Brother or Sister, which helps siblings who were left behind 

cope in the aftermath of the abduction. 

This third document, You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment, was 

prepared with the assistance of young adults who were themselves abducted as children and 

who are walking the path of healing and recovery. It is designed to help others who experience abduction begin to put their lives back together. Each abduction is different, and so is 

the path to recovery. And though the road to recovery is different for everyone, the destination is the same—to find empowerment and normalcy, and to live as full a life as possible. 

It is my sincere hope that this document will help you on your road to recovery. I look 

forward to the day when we no longer have to search for missing children. But until that 

day comes, I believe that this document, and those that preceded it, will help children and 

families move forward on their personal journeys from abduction to empowerment. 

J. Robert Flores 

Administrator 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

1
 
LETTER FROM THE AUTHORS
 

Like you, we are survivors of abduction. We were abducted by strangers, 

by a parent, by someone known to 

the family, and by someone we 

believed was an online friend. Each 

of us had different experiences, 

which ultimately led us down 

different paths. Like you, we 

returned from those experiences 

and had to adjust to a whole 

new life. 

Even though we are all
 

survivors, we are also much more.
 

We are college students, musicians, dancers, artists, athletes,
 

and advocates. We are daughters and sons, brothers and sisters,
 

boyfriends and girlfriends, friends, roommates, and community
 

members. One day we will be husbands and wives, parents, teachers,
 

forensic psychologists, and lawyers.
 

As you are all too aware, the journey can be tough. Our experiences—the abduction itself, 

our responses to it, and other life events—have shaped our lives in ways that we didn’t always 

expect. We are who we are today because we chose to turn a negative experience into a 

positive one and to move forward on our journey from abduction to empowerment. 

The paths we followed have not always been direct or smooth, but we have realized that 

the progression of life goes on. We want you to know that you can make choices and move 

forward, just as we have. We stood right where you are standing now—wondering what was 

in store for us in the future, how we were going to get there, and what we were going to face in 

the process. We are happy to tell you that we not only survived, but we have learned to thrive. 

We have been where you are in your journey. You are not alone. As difficult as it may seem, 

you will get through this. It will get better. You will learn and you will grow. It is possible for 

you to continue on in your life and become who you want to be. We hope you will let us 

walk beside you as you go through your journey. 

2
 
This book was created for and by survivors of abduction, with the guidance and assistance 

of the Department of Justice. We are telling our stories because we hope they will help you 

believe in yourself and give you hope for your future. Please know that what happened to 

you is your story, and you can tell it if you want, how you want, when you want, and to 

whom you want. 

Always remember that the abduction was not your fault. You survived something that was 

out of your control. You can reassume control and, in the process, come out stronger. Your 

life is different now—there is a “new normal.” That is what we mean by the journey from 

abduction to empowerment. It’s the road you walk as you heal and grow, and learn to take 

back the reins of your own life. 

We cannot say exactly how you should move forward. We can tell you, however, that your 

experience does not have to destroy your life. Our hope is that our words will give you 

encouragement and ideas about where to start. The most important thing to remember is 

that you have a life ahead of you and that it can be what you want it to be. 

You are a survivor. We hope that you will choose to keep hoping, 

move forward, and recover your joy in life. Take care of yourself. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself. The journey will take time. But you 

will make it. 

Welcome home! 

3 
“One step at a time, one foot 

in front of the other. That’s 

how you move on. There is 

something more for you to 

do . . . you survived for a 

reason!” — Maggie 

ABOUT THIS BOOK 

In 2007, we were invited to be part of 

writing a book for others who survived an 

abduction and returned home. Many of us 

remember wishing we had someone to 

talk with in those early days who had been 

through a similar experience. We all knew 

that we wanted to be part of this project 

because we saw its potential to help others 

who were probably feeling as frightened and alone as we once did. 

We came together with a team of professionals who had worked on similar documents to share 

our thoughts and ideas about what someone in these shoes would need to know. For many of 

us, this was the first time that we had a chance to talk to other survivors. We realized how 

important it was to connect with someone else who had a similar experience, even if all the 

details were not exactly the same. We hope that is what this book can do for you. 

The book is divided into five sections, each dealing with different aspects of your personal 

journey from abduction to empowerment. The first section focuses on the journey itself and 

what you might expect along the way. The second discusses finding those who can help you 

through your journey. Section three is about retaking control of your life and making the 

choices that are right for you. The fourth section talks about roadblocks you may face in the 

process, and some possible ways that you can handle them successfully. The final section deals 

with finding the “new normal” in your life. 

Each section includes a personal letter from one of us with our thoughts to help you through 

your journey. To make sure that we had input from as many different perspectives as possible, 

the team reached out to other young people who had been through similar experiences. 

Throughout the book you will see quotes from the five of us and from four other survivors 

of abduction—Josh, Lindsey, Sarah and Trevor. We want to thank them for having the courage 

to share their experience and taking the time to share their thoughts. 

This book is a resource for you. Whether you read every word, skim 

pieces that grab your attention, or put it down until you’re ready to 

look at it again later, we hope it helps you understand that you truly 

are not alone. 

4
 
“There’s no sign that says you’ve 

arrived, you’re here, but things 

do align and start working. It 

is possible to be happy. What 

you’ve gone through isn’t the 

end of the world, because you’re 

still here. We can’t show you how 

to get over it, but we can show 

you it is possible.” — Sam 

SECTION 1: YOUR JOURNEY
 

You may be picking this book up in 

the days following your abduction, or 

it may be months or even many years 

since your abduction. No matter 

where you are, how long it has been, 

or what level of healing you have 

found, it is okay. This is a journey— 

a process. Everyone handles it differently. Just know that as difficult 

as it may be, things get better. 

There is hope. What’s important is 

that you are ready to hear from 

others who, like you, have 

survived an abduction. 

You will have good days and bad days in the months and years to come. Sometimes you may 

feel your journey will never end. Sometimes it may seem you are retracing the same steps over 

and over. Some journeys take longer than others. 

What is important is not to 

compare yourself to anyone 

else. The circumstances of your 

abduction and your survival 

were unique to you. Your 

healing process will be unique 

as well. 

Your home life will probably be different 

and may never go back to the way it used 

to be. If you were gone for a while, or 

abducted at a young age, you may not 

remember what it was like before your abduction and you may need to get to know members 

of your family from scratch. Your routine, as you remember it, may be completely different 

now. You may feel that your abduction has become a point of reference—there will always be a 

“before” and an “after” this happened to you. This may be sad, frightening, and confusing all at 

the same time. 

5
 
“Getting better doesn’t always 

happen in a straight line. It comes 

and goes in waves, or cycles, like 

taking two steps forward and one 

step back. It’s a journey you move 

through on your way to the other 

side. The important thing, though, 

is to keep going.” — Tamara 

You may feel that you need some space to deal with what has happened, but that others do 

not want to let you be alone right now. You may feel torn between what you want and need, 

and what others think you want and need. You may want to talk, or you may want to be 

quiet. You may want others to be near you physically, or you may not want anyone to touch 

you. Sometimes all you want is to be alone, but at the same time you might be afraid of 

being alone. 

You also may feel guilty for what happened, or others may make you feel that way. You may 

realize that your parents and siblings also experienced trauma, that life changed for them 

as well. As a result, they may have their own issues to work through. They may be overprotective or seem distant. It will probably take time to sort through everything and find the 

balance between what you need and what they need. 

It will take time to process what happened to you. It took time for all of us as well. Although 

time really does make things better, it cannot make what happened go away. All you can do is 

choose to make the best of it, and to make an effort to turn the negative experience you went 

through into something positive. 

We found specific strategies that helped us along our journeys. Keep in mind that the same 

strategies didn’t work for each of us. As you embark on your journey, you will have to find 

out what works for you and what 

doesn’t. Take your time, and trust 

your instincts. 

For information on 

additional resources, 

please see “Where to Find 

More Help” on page 60. 

6
 
“Ignoring the 

problem doesn’t 

help.” — Alicia 

TALKING TO SOMEONE 

Talking about what happened is an 

important part of your healing. This 

is not something that you can handle 

on your own. You will find that many 

people will want to talk with you, and 

you may even feel bombarded by their 

interest in you. As you begin to open 

up, make sure that you talk about it in 

your own time and in your own way. 

Use this as an opportunity to take control of this portion of your life again. 

Sometimes you may want to talk about what happened; other times 

it’s the last thing you want to discuss. Remember that, apart from 

law enforcement’s investigation of your case, you have to share only 

what you want to share, and only when you are ready. 

When you are ready, find someone you trust. Some of us confided in our parents—their 

unconditional love and support has helped us throughout our journey. Others of us found it 

difficult to talk with parents and other family members who were also struggling with how to 

cope. Some of us who returned from a family abduction also found it difficult to talk with a 

parent or with other family members who were, in many ways, strangers to us. Many of us 

were successful in finding a counselor or therapist who helped us along our journeys. 

We all learned that the key to finding someone to confide in was to find someone we trusted. 

This may have been someone who was helpful in our lives before the abduction, or someone 

new. We all found it important to find someone who was objective without being judgmental, who let us speak in our own voices and in our own time, and who had our interests at 

heart. It was important to find someone who could provide us with strength and guidance to 

help us make our own decisions. 

Most important was finding someone just 

for us with whom we felt comfortable. 

7
 
“When something like this 

happens, it leaves a void inside 

of you. You basically have two 

choices: You can fill it with 

negative things, like alcohol, 

drugs, or promiscuity; or you 

can fill it with good works and 

a good heart.” — Alicia 

Remember, you cannot do this alone. Asking for help is not a 

weakness. It is a strength and an important part of the healing 

process. Here are some of the people we turned to when we needed 

them the most: 

>> Parents. 

>> Brothers and sisters. 

>> Other family members—grandparents, aunts, uncles, 

and cousins. 

>> Best friends. 

>> Boyfriends or girlfriends. 

>> Counselors. 

>> Clergy. 

>> Teachers. 

>> Coaches. 

>> Friends. 

>> Other trusted adults. 

>> Others who had undergone similar experiences, like a 

support group. 

Keep in mind that what you need may 

change from moment to moment, and 

that you may need to talk with different 

people about different aspects of your 

life and the abduction. Each of us found 

multiple people whom we trusted in 

different ways to help us with different 

parts of our journey. 

FINDING POSITIVE 

OUTLETS 

There will be times when you wish that things could go back to the way they were before the 

abduction, and times that you wish it had never happened. There will be times when your 

world seems grim. This is normal and to be expected. When you find yourself thinking, 

“What if?”, engaging in activities that you enjoyed before the abduction may be a healthy 

outlet for your emotions now. You might also want to try a new activity to see if it helps. 

If it doesn’t, try another until you find a positive outlet. 

8
 
“Competitive running is what 

saved me. I had to get back to 

what I loved, back to what 

defined me. I fought so hard 

for it. I was not going to let 

my abductor take that away 

from me.” — Maggie 

“If you feel bad about yourself, do something that 

will make you feel good, like getting your hair cut, 

or something that you used to do before the abduction. Even if it feels weird. Spend time with other 

people, but don’t be afraid to be alone. No one will 

heal like you, and patience with other people is the 

first step to your own healing.” — Lindsey 

Here are some things that worked for us: 

>>	 Keeping a journal. 

>> Dancing.
 

>> Attending a class. 


>> Painting and drawing.
 

>> Listening to music.
 

>> Reading.
 

>> Playing an instrument.
 

>> Exercising.
 

>> Playing sports.
 

>> Going to the movies.
 

>> Taking up a new hobby.
 

>> Going shopping.
 

>> Spending time with family.
 

>>	 Spending time with positive and good people 

because they will naturally bring you up and you 

will be likely to do positive things for yourself. 

>>	 Setting a personal goal to do something new every 

day, even if it is something very small. 

>>	 Spending time with friends who let you talk about it if you 

want to, but don’t force you to talk about it if you don’t. 

9
 
TAMARA’S STORY 

Life, I have found, is not so much 

about the endpoint, but about the 

journey and how one responds to 

experiences along the way. It is filled 

with hidden corners, obstacles that may 

seem impossible to overcome, mighty 

triumphs, pain, fear, utter happiness, 

passion, and events one could never 

imagine until they become a reality. 

I would like to share part of my life story 

with you, a story that begins when I was 16 years old and was kidnapped at 

gunpoint by a man I did not know. I open myself to you because we have two 

things in common. We were abducted and made it back alive, and we both have 

the ability to take back what was snatched from us—the freedom to live our lives. 

The importance of telling you my story lies in the things I have done to empower 

myself in response to that experience. It lies in my journey, filled with hard work, 

healing, challenges, and triumphs over the trauma. As much as I would love to say 

that one day you will wake up and the work will be over, it will not. However, it 

does get easier with time. 

I hope that sharing my successes and the mistakes that I have made in dealing 

with my abduction will help you on your journey. I have turned my own journey, 

although it has had its hardships, heartbreaks, and pain, into something amazing, 

not because I am a superhuman in disguise, but because of how I chose to 

respond to what happened. 

My name is Tamara and I am 21 years old. I will be finishing my bachelor’s 

degree in June 2008. I have been dancing since high school and I spend as much 

of my free time as possible out with friends, my family, at the beach, or curling up 

with a good book and my kitty. When I was 16, my life took an unexpected turn 

when I was kidnapped from my hometown. 

Before that point I was an ordinary teenager—boy crazy like all of my friends, 

excited about my first real prom still a year away, and 2 years shy of graduating 

10
 
“When I came home, everyone wanted to 

hug me. The problem was that I didn’t 

want to be touched. At the same time, I 

understood that it was what they needed 

to help them heal and deal with what they 

had been through while I was missing. So, 

I thought okay, go ahead and hug me. And 

when I hugged my family, they also realized 

that I was uncomfortable and needed to 

be alone. We needed to reestablish boundaries. We needed time to figure out what 

was okay and what wasn’t.” 

high school. I played sports, was a straight “A” student, and was always doing 

something goofy to make my friends laugh. The summer I turned 16 I felt on top 

of the world. A week after my 16th birthday, on July 31, 2002, when I was at a 

lookout point with one of my best friends, I was abducted at gunpoint and my 

friend was left behind, tied up. I was then to endure one of the most difficult 

experiences of my life. 

A few hours later, my captor took another young woman. Together we chose to 

fight back and although we were unsuccessful, we did not give up. Approximately 

16 hours later we were found, largely thanks to the success of California’s first 

AMBER Alert. After he fired a shot from his gun, our captor was shot to death by 

the police. Moments later it was over. We were safe. We had survived. 

THE FIRST FEW HOURS 

We were first taken to the hospital to ensure that we were okay. Upon our arrival, 

we were taken inside on gurneys, covered head to toe with sheets. The media, via 

the AMBER Alert, had been airing our story from the beginning, and as a result 

everyone wanted to be the first to get a picture of us or catch us on film. 

Everything became a rush after 

that. Detectives questioned us 

and put us into separate rooms 

as the hospital performed a full 

medical examination to collect 

any physical evidence. That 

experience felt like another 

violation all over again, but it 

was necessary. At the time I did 

not understand what was going 

on or why I had to undergo so 

many procedures. I was still in 

a state of shock from the reality 

of being kidnapped, and then 

the reality of being found. 

11
 
Once they finished with us at the hospital, we were taken on a private plane back 

to my hometown. In the days following, I found that I had suddenly become a 

celebrity. My name and photograph were splashed across newspapers. 

Because of the media attention, everywhere I went people recognized me. Some 

simply stared; others would whisper; some would approach me and say, “You’re 

that girl.” I became, in their eyes, that girl who was kidnapped in the summer of 

2002. But I did not allow that to define who I was or who I am today. True, the 

experience is a part of me and has helped shape me, but in no way does it encompass all of me, nor will it encompass all of you. Although some people may try to 

force that identity upon you, we choose who we want to be—not them. 

I chose to be grateful, not for the fame, but for the gift I was granted: the gift of 

seeing how much people cared, and how compassionate they could be. It’s easy to 

forget that, especially after being kidnapped. But with this perspective I was able 

to see the vast amount of good there is in the world. So many people whom I 

never knew—and unfortunately may never get to meet—worked tirelessly to 

bring me home, as they did for you. That is something to think about. We matter 

that much to people—even ones we do not know, who were willing to do everything within their power to protect us. We were saved and are here for a reason. 

It’s an incredible feeling to know that. 

RETURNING HOME 

Coming home, I faced many obstacles, some of which I still experience from time 

to time. I began to have nightmares every night, and could not sleep. It became 

extremely difficult to concentrate in school. Things that used to come easily for 

me suddenly became a monumental challenge. I was depressed. I cried countless 

times, but through it all I knew I had a choice. I could choose to dwell on how 

difficult things were or I could focus on the positive. First and foremost I was 

alive. I had another day to live, another day to make things that much better. 

Sometimes just getting out of bed was a huge challenge, but I did it every single 

day. That may seem like a little thing, but the little things make the biggest difference. 

From the moment I came home, I chose to look at my abduction in a positive 

light. I chose to believe that good will always triumph over evil, that I came home 

for a reason, and that something phenomenal was going to come out of my 

12
 
“The day after I was rescued, I had to go 

with the detectives to try to retrace the 

steps, to take them to all the places 

where the evidence might be. That was 

extremely difficult. The last place I 

wanted to be was where it had all started. I had to relive it all, even though all 

I really wanted to do was to put it all 

behind me and move on. But I soon 

realized that putting it behind me was 

not going to be as easy as I hoped. I was 

able to take my brother with me to walk 

through everything, and that really 

helped. One of the most important 

things that I learned was that it is okay 

for you to say what you need. And it is 

okay to ask for someone to be with you 

if you want that.” 

having been kidnapped 

and the hardships I 

faced. I believed that 

greatness could be 

found in the darkest 

of corners and chose 

to actively find that 

greatness. 

As I was trying to 

cope with the negative 

emotions that were 

churning inside of me, 

especially the fear that 

things would not get 

any better, I made a 

conscious decision each 

day. I asked: How can I 

make today that much 

better than yesterday? I found that focusing on the positive eased the impact the 

negative parts had on me. 

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF 

Through trial and error I also found that the best thing I could do for myself was 

to take care of each of my responsibilities. I was a student and therefore I needed 

to attend class, do my homework, and turn it in. I needed to eat three healthy 

meals a day. I had to sleep. I had to get out of bed, shower, and brush my teeth. 

I fought procrastinating and the tendency to want to curl up under my blankets 

and take a break from the world. Giving into that inclination and isolating myself 

from life and friends only made things worse. 

During the bad times, I needed to reach out to someone whom I trusted and 

could talk to. That “someone” had different faces. Sometimes it was a family 

member, my best friend, a special person who had become a mentor, or my 

counselor. I found that talking to someone was extremely important for me. 

Speaking to a counselor or therapist helped me tremendously, but talking to 

13
 
“Sometimes you just need to be selfish and do 

something for you. I know there are times 

when I just need to go out with my girlfriends, go to a football game or something 

and be carefree. I need that. If you’re not taking in what you need, you don’t have anything to give. You’ll be stuck at a point of 

stagnation. Life’s too short to be unhappy.” 

friends and family enabled 

me to turn from the things 

that were bringing me 

down and focus on the 

positives. Most important, 

we would laugh together. 

Laughter and humor 

became one of the best outlets. Aside from a big bowl of vanilla ice cream, not 

much is better than laughter. 

My counselor was very important to me—he helped me understand that these 

challenges were not permanent and to find positive outlets. He did not give me 

the answers, but he was there to help me find my own. This helped me trust 

myself—which is very important. The kidnapping had made me question my 

own judgment. 

It was not as though I would never have learned to trust myself again, but my 

counselor helped me accomplish that sooner rather than later. He also helped me 

regain trust in adult males, for it was an adult male who had harmed me. More 

importantly, my counselor helped me understand that the man who took me 

intended to do harm to me, not all adult males. Realizing that not all adult males 

were my enemy helped ease my anxiety, for I sometimes thought that every adult 

male I met had ulterior motives. 

The bottom line was, the man who abducted me took 16 hours away from me and 

I refused to let him have any more. I arrived at this belief only after my counselor 

and I worked through and made sense out of what had happened. Those of us who 

have had this experience have to navigate a delicate balance when it comes to looking back at what happened to us. We can choose to do so to help propel ourselves 

forward and take back what is rightly ours—the freedom to live—or we can use the 

memory as a crutch that pulls us down. I still use that thought as a sounding board 

to make sure I am on a positive road of healing instead of a road to self-destruction. 

MAKING CHOICES 

Even now as I tell you my story I am not finished with my recovery and healing, 

for it is a journey. It has revealed strengths I never knew I had. Yes, I felt like I was 

14
 
15 

in pieces when I came home. But through constant hard work and choosing to 

remain positive in the midst of each challenge, I became whole again. 

Some say that my work has helped me survive, but let me tell you, we survived 

when we made it home. Period. That process of survival is over. The journey from 

here on out is becoming whole, learning to live with passion, laughing with our 

whole heart and soul, and fighting for what we deserve, the absolute best in life. 

You and I are worth that and so much more. It is only a matter of whether or not 

we want it. It is a choice. 

I have reiterated this notion of choice over and over because it is immensely 

important to me; it was—and is—my saving grace. As I struggled to deal with bad 

things in my family life as well as the abduction, I still had the choice to dwell on 

the negative or find the positive. 

Making this choice every day in my life has not been easy. Every time I begin to 

think that it is too hard, I remember that I did not give up on myself when I was 

gone, and I will not give up on myself now. As my mother told me, “Yesterday is 

history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.” 

Each day brings us a gift: a blank slate. Our choices become the brush that paints 

each stroke of color. We paint our own picture and as we change our mindset, we 

change the picture, too. We choose who we want to be and how we want to be 

defined. I chose not to remain that 16-year-old girl who was kidnapped on July 

31, 2002. Instead, I am Tamara, one who is making her own way in life. I am 

Tamara, one who has spoken out to the nation about her story and one who can 

be just as effective in her daily life with or without the speeches. 

In my eyes, you are an incredible human being. I do not need to meet you to 

know this, for you have survived and that in itself is a true testament to your 

greatness. The amazing part about coming home is that we can be as ordinary or 

as extraordinary as we want. What kind of life do you want to live? The choice 

was mine, and the choice is yours. 
“Trust is really delicate, 

and if it is misused by 

somebody close to you 

it takes a long time to 

regain it.” — Sam 

SECTION 2: 

CHOOSING 

COMPANIONS FOR 

YOUR JOURNEY 

Learning to trust again is a huge 

challenge for anyone who has been 

abducted. Not only is it difficult to 

trust other people, it is often difficult to 

trust yourself. But we also know that you 

need people to walk this road with you. 

Once you return home, your family and friends may not seem like the people you knew 

prior to the abduction. If you were abducted by a family member, chances are that you 

are returning to a family life that is totally different both from what you knew before the 

abduction and the way you were living until you were found. You may not know how to 

relate to a new family structure. If you have been gone a very long time, you may not know 

or trust the family you are coming home to at all. 

When returning from your abduction, you, personally, may not 

feel the same as before. You may feel that no one truly understands 

what you have been through. You may not know how to explain it to 

them. You may be afraid of their reactions to things you might say, 

or you might want to protect them from knowing everything that 

happened to you. 

Each of us was surrounded by different types of people after our abductions ended. The 

media spotlight was on us, at least for a little while. People heard about our stories in our 

towns, our States, and in some cases, across the country. These were people who we knew, as 

well as people who were complete strangers. Sometimes we were treated like celebrities. 

People stared at ]us, felt free to ask prying 

questions, or just simply wanted to be around us. 

Suddenly everyone at school knew our names. 

Some of them wanted to be our friends, even 

though we never knew them before. We found 

out that some were genuine in their feelings, and 

some were not. 

16
 
“Trust is negotiated – 

you set the tone and 

expectations.” 

— Tamara 

“I was internationally abducted 

from Norway to the United 

States when I was 4 and 

returned when I was 18. I was 

a very different person from 

who I would have grown up 

as in Norway. I was a young 

adult and was not interested in 

giving up my independence. 

What happened was a slow 

and painful process getting 

reacquainted with my mother, 

my extended maternal family, 

and the culture I was estranged 

from.” — Sarah 

Remember: 

>> Seek out the people you trusted 

before the abduction. 

>> Communicate your thoughts, 

ideas, and needs to others. 

>> Trust your instincts. 

>> Establish boundaries about what 

you will and will not discuss. 

>> Take it slowly. 

>> Don’t be too hard on yourself. 

>> Don’t feel pressured—trust 

comes in its own time. 

REBUILDING TRUST 

Rebuilding trust—in others and in yourself—is difficult. It can be tough to figure out whom 

to trust in these moments and to trust yourself to make good decisions. Regaining trust with 

yourself, family members, friends, or acquaintances will become an important aspect of every 

part of your life. How can you go about rebuilding trust? 

First, start by seeking out and trusting the people whom 

you trusted before to make you feel safe. Those who were 

your true friends before will continue to be your true 

friends now. Communicate your ideas, thoughts, and 

needs to others, either by talking to them or in writing. 

We felt most comfortable gravitating to people who let us 

talk when we wanted or needed to. 

17
 
“I had to get to know my 

mother from scratch, while 

at the same time dealing 

with my own prejudices and 

fear I had built up toward 

this stranger from years on 

the run and the negative 

messages from my father.” 

— Sarah 

“You can’t force trust, and 

you can’t expect to feel it 

right away. You have to let 

it come to you.” — Sam 

If you were abducted by a family member 

and thrust into a whole new life, rebuilding 

trust can be extremely difficult. There are 

probably some very difficult feelings between 

your parents, and you may feel like you are in 

the middle of them. Returning to a different 

parent will force you to reevaluate your 

relationship with the parent who abducted 

you. You may need to establish a relationship 

with a parent or another family member you 

do not know. Take your time. Don’t feel pressured into establishing a relationship within a 

few days; after all, relationships take time to 

grow. Even when it seems like it is taking a long time to get to know your new family, 

remember that you were found because they were looking for you. A bond exists, even 

though it may take a long time for it to feel solid. The key is to keep communication open, 

and to be honest with one another. 

If your abductor was not a family member, it may still take a while for trust to rebuild within 

your family. Give yourself time. Speak with them about how you can reestablish a trusting 

relationship. Work together to make this happen. 

When interacting with new people, trust your instincts about them. 

Take your time to get to know people. Don’t force it. Don’t be too 

hard on yourself if it doesn’t come easily. 

If others only want to talk about your abduction, 

they are probably not interested in you for the 

right reasons. Establish your boundaries about 

what you will and will not discuss, and whom you 

will talk to. Don’t put complete faith in others the 

moment you meet them. Remember that building 

trust and confidence takes time. 

18
 
“My advice to anyone who may have had 

a similar experience is to lay out a clear 

understanding with your friends, your 

family, and the people you let into your 

life. Tell them, ‘Look, it makes me really 

anxious and stressed out when you ask 

me a bunch of personal questions. I don’t 

want to talk about it and if I mention 

anything about my event or something 

that may trigger an old memory or something, don’t respond to my rhetorical 

questions.’

” — Lindsey 

When dating, take it slowly and trust your instincts. Remember that how your abductor 

treated you is not normal. You should not expect—or accept—the same treatment from 

others. Many of us found, at least at first, that going out in groups was much better than 

individual dating. It allowed us to build confidence in ourselves, our decisionmaking, and 

our opinions about others, and to become more comfortable with the dating process. It also 

gave us the opportunity to let our friends help us feel safe in the dating environment. 

It will sometimes be hard, but try to trust yourself. What happened was not your fault. 

Trust that your ability to make good decisions is still the same as it was before your 

abduction. In many ways, we believe we now make better judgments about others after 

going through this experience. 

Trust your gut feelings about others, and about yourself. Whatever 

the action, if it does not feel like a good thing to do, don’t do it. 

Keep the saying, “think before you act,” in the back of your mind. 

Sometimes it may take a 

while for trust to rebuild 

within your family as 

well. Give yourself time. 

Speak with them about 

how you can reestablish 

a trusting relationship. 

Work together to make 

this happen. 

19
 
“Coming home from your 

abduction is half the battle. 

We were strong enough to make 

it through the hard part, but 

the road ahead is yet another 

struggle. You might think that 

when you arrive home from 

being kidnapped, everything is 

going to be okay and go right 

back to normal. But life isn’t 

the same.” 

SAM’S STORY 

My story is not your average, 

everyday story and neither is yours. 

My story is different from many of 

yours, but it is also similar in many 

ways. I lost 8 1/2 months of my life 

to a person that I am supposed 

to look up to and listen to. I lost 

8 1/2 months of time with my 

friends and family to a person I 

am supposed to love and strive to 

emulate. I lost 8 1/2 months of 

my life to my dad. I was abducted by my own father. 

On July 19, 1997, my dad took me from my mother. I was 10 years old. My parents had been divorced for some time when suddenly, my dad decided to take me 

away from everything I knew in my life. We traveled from one side of the country 

to the other, and when we finally settled in one place, reality sank in for me. 

I was not allowed to talk to others. I 

could not go to school. I couldn’t even 

use my real name. We had to change 

our names and live a lie to make sure 

nobody would find us. But on March 

28, 1998, in Alvin, Texas, I was found. 

You were found, too. That is what 

makes our stories so similar. We were 

found for a reason. We were given the 

gift of coming back to our lives, and 

now it is up to us to make the most 

of it. 

20
 
“I think that the bottom line 

is that no matter who takes you, 

whether a family member, 

acquaintance, or stranger, that 

person is not a friend to you 

because they are not looking out 

for your best interests.” 

FAMILY ABDUCTION 

When you are abducted by a family member, as soon as you come home you 

realize the differences in the way your family is structured. Your experience has 

affected your life and the lives of others. If you were abducted by a family member and returned to your other parent, your home, your friends and school, and 

your everyday routine all may be different. The list goes on and on. What you 

were used to for days, weeks, and even 

months before is suddenly changed. But, I 

am here to tell you that it can be okay. 

Was it hard for me? Of course it was. It took 

me a long time to realize that my dad was 

not going to be in my life again. It is hard to 

lose somebody, especially when you know 

this person could still be in your life. But I 

had to ask myself if I really wanted someone 

in my life who was not going to do what was 

best for me. 

LEARNING TO TRUST 

One of the biggest issues I faced was learning to trust people again. It felt almost 

impossible for me to trust anybody, even myself, after my dad deliberately took 

me away from my life. I didn’t know who was really looking out for my best 

interests anymore. I found it very hard to realize that other people were different 

from my father, and deserved my trust. 

You may feel the same way. I didn’t trust people—really anyone—for a very long 

time. Then, I realized that there are people around me who really do love and 

care for me. There are genuinely good people out there who deserve my trust. 

Amazingly, rebuilding trust does happen. It just takes time. Don’t be afraid to give 

yourself time, or to ask for it from those around you. Help them understand what 

you need. 

Being abducted by a family member means that you are also suffering the loss 

of someone who was a part of your life but will not be in your life anymore. 

21
 
“Eventually you will 

realize there are people 

there for you; otherwise, 

you would not be back 

home where you belong.” 

I eventually realized that was okay. I looked for other people to fill the role my 

dad once occupied in my life, like my older brother, my basketball coach, or my 

friends’ fathers. When I started trusting people again, I found they were there for 

me to depend on. 

There are certain things that we all look for in people to see whether we can trust 

them or not. Honesty. Compassion. Concern. Love. You cannot force yourself to 

trust people. It takes time. How long? I cannot say. Each of us is different. When 

you have been in a situation such as mine you find that you pay closer attention 

to what people say and do and how they act, and you become very sensitive to 

people who betray your trust or even tell little white lies. All I can say is that it is 

possible to build trust in others again, and in yourself. 

Remember that what happened to you was not your fault. Also remember that 

you were found because someone really loved you and had your best interests 

at heart. That is a huge thing. Try not to let what happened to you change your 

ability to see goodness in others. Surround yourself with people who make you 

feel comfortable and safe. Trust will come to you. Don’t force yourself—take 

your time. 

At first, you may feel lonely and that 

nobody is there for you. I felt that way 

for a very long time. Sometimes it can 

feel like no matter how much you talk 

about it, nobody will truly understand 

what you went through. This is when 

you really need to find someone who 

you are comfortable with to help you 

through this—a parent, a trusted adult, 

a counselor, a mentor. 

22
 
FACING THE PARENT WHO ABDUCTED ME 

I also had to think about facing my dad again. For a long time I did not want 

to see him. I was angry at him for what he had done. But I heard someone else 

whose father had abducted him talking about how his father died before he had 

the chance to face him—and how he regretted never being able to talk about 

what had happened. I didn’t want that to happen to me. 

I realized that ultimately, I needed to see my dad on my own terms and in my 

own time. My dad had reached out to me when I turned 18, but I didn’t see him 

until I was 20. Even after I decided I wanted to talk to my dad, it took me a long 

time to do it. I had so many questions: What would I say? How would I react? 

What would he say to me? 

If you are not ready to see your parent, don’t force yourself. Don’t rush into it if 

you can’t handle it. Figure out what is best for you, and then trust your instinct 

and follow your heart. As nervous as I was, once I did it, I was so glad I did. 

Afterwards, it was like I was released to live the rest of my life. 

Don’t let your abductor dictate the way you live your life, especially your relationships with other people. As I said before, learning to trust again will take time—it 

is a process—but in time it will be a positive thing because you have the rest of 

your life to live. 

23
 
“You’ve been a victim of someone else’s choices. But there’s 

a difference between being 

victimized and remaining 

a victim. A victim is one 

who remains at a place of 

stagnation, who never moves 

forward from what happened; 

a survivor is one who takes 

the necessary steps to move 

forward, to heal, and who is 

not defined by what 

happened.” — Tamara 

SECTION 3: GETTING IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
 

You’ve experienced something traumatic 

that was out of your control. As difficult 

as it may be to realize, you have an 

opportunity to turn that situation 

around, to take back control of your 

life. Things are different now, to be 

sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t 

still live the life you want to live. 

Though at times you may not realize 

it, you do have choices, and you can 

make good choices. You can take the 

negative things that happened to 

you and turn them into something 

positive. 

The word “empower” means to give power or authority to, to enable, 

to permit. Empowerment does not happen overnight. 

At first when you return following the 

abduction, your life may be turned upside 

down. Your emotions may be out of 

whack—you may be upset, angry, 

ashamed, confused—you may be all of 

these things and more. You may worry 

about the effect this will have on you now 

and for the rest of your life. You may 

worry about what others may think about 

you, how they will respond, and if you can 

ever move towards brighter days. 

This is what happened to us. But, 

eventually, we all came to a moment in 

our journeys when we decided that we 

would no longer let what happened to us 

dictate who we were going to become. 

24
 
This experience happened to us, it is a part of our past, and it will always be part of who we 

are. But it doesn’t have to be our future. This was the moment we really began to gain control 

of our lives again. 

WAYS TO REGAIN CONTROL 

Each day you will have an opportunity to decide whether to be in control or to let what 

happened control you. It’s not an easy decision, particularly when you first come home. 

There are ways you can do this: 

>>	 You can choose to get up each day, put one foot in front of the other, 

and do the basic things you need to do. 

>>	 You can reestablish boundaries in your life in a way that makes you 

feel comfortable. 

>>	 You can take back some of the things that were stolen from you— 

your dignity, your confidence, your sense of humor. 

>>	 You can choose to can go back to your old school, to transfer to a new 

school, or to be schooled at home. 

>>	 You can tell others what you need, not what they think you need. 

>>	 You can—and should—ask for help. 

>>	 You can choose whom you want to be with at any time. 

>>	 You can choose whom you trust and whom you do not. 

>>	 Your ideas for regaining control: 

25
 
YOUR RIGHTS
 

Remember that you have rights and that exercising those rights can help you stay on course 

and maintain control over your own destiny. Here are some things that we wish someone 

had told us in the early days after we came home: 

1. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO YOUR OWN STORY. 

What happened was not your fault. It was out of your control. But you have an 

opportunity to regain control. Your story is yours alone. You can control how it is told, 

and to whom. 

2. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO YOUR OWN FEELINGS. 

If you are mad, scared, numb, nervous, happy, feel like crying, or have any one of a 

thousand other emotions, that is okay. You might feel opposite feelings at once—happy 

and sad, relieved and scared, angry and peaceful. Your feelings are your own, and it is 

okay to feel that way. 

3. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE. 

If something makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it. Trust your instincts. If you need help 

from others to make you feel safe, ask for it. Don’t be afraid to say no. Tell someone if you 

do not feel safe. 

4. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL OTHERS WHAT YOU 

NEED. 

Speak up for what you want. Tell others if you need to talk, want to be alone, need a hug, 

don’t want to be hugged, etc. 

5. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING 

TO YOU AND AROUND YOU. 

Ask questions until you are satisfied with the answers. Doctors, nurses, police officers, 

social workers, prosecutors, parole boards, and others should tell you what is happening, 

as many times as you need to hear it, until you understand what is going on. 

6. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU TRUST 

HELP YOU THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY. 

You can ask for a parent, a trusted adult, a counselor, an advocate—someone who has 

your best interests in mind—to walk with you through your journey. Seek out the 

person(s) whom you trust who can help and support you, and don’t be afraid to tell 

others if they are not filling that role. 

26
 
“One thing that really helped me 

was when I was forced to make a 

decision, whether it was easy or 

hard. I had to get out of ‘robot 

mode’ and think for myself. I had 

to decide what I wanted ... like 

even picking out the color for my 

room. My parents hated the color 

but I loved it because it was something I wanted, and something I 

decided.” — Lindsey 

7. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL
 

SPACE.
 

You have the right to establish your own boundaries and make them clear. 

8. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY NO. 

You can say, “I don’t want to do that,” or “I don’t want to talk about that,” if and when 

you need to. This applies to everyone in your life. You may not be ready to talk at any 

given point. Keep in mind, however, that sometimes questions, uncomfortable as they 

seem, are being asked by people who are doing their job. If you don’t know why you are 

being asked a specific question, ask why it is important. 

9. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF AND WHEN YOU 

WILL TALK TO THE MEDIA. 

Talk to the media when you want to, on your own terms. You have no obligation to speak 

with them. You can decide what you will and won’t talk about. Talk to an adult you trust 

about how to handle the media. 

10. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHOICES IN YOUR 

LIFE. 

The journey from abduction to 

empowerment is about choices— 

choices in terms of what you do, 

when you do it, whom you do it 

with. Sometimes choices are very 

difficult. That is when you need to 

ask for help in making decisions. 

But you always have the right to 

voice your opinion about choices. 

That is empowerment. 

27
 
“This is important to 

remember. You were found 

because someone was looking for you! You were not 

then, and you are not now, 

alone. You are here because 

there are people who care 

for you.” 

ELIZABETH’S STORY 

Believe it or not, you are a champion. We all face trials and challenges 

in life. Some are more difficult than 

others. You and I faced a very difficult 

one and you, like me, have triumphed 

over this trial. You have a new, and 

different, life now—a new normal. 

This new life can be something good if 

you make it that way. 

My name is Elizabeth. Currently I am 

20 years old and a music performance 

major in college. I love to ride horseback and spend time with my family. Like 

you, I am also a survivor. The night before I was to graduate from junior high I 

was kidnapped from my bed at knifepoint. I was held captive for 9 months until 

I was rescued. My life has never been the same since. 

Many aspects of my life have changed, as I’m sure yours has. Much about an 

experience like ours can overwhelm us when we come home: the media, the 

notoriety, the mixed emotions, our families, school—the list could go on forever. 

But even through these experiences 

and the changes that result, it is 

important to remember that just 

because something bad happened 

to you, it doesn’t mean you are 

bad. You are still entitled to every 

possible happiness in life. 

When I came home, I had no idea 

just how big the search for me had 

been. To this day, 5 years later, 

people still come up to me and tell 

me how much they searched for 

me and prayed for my safe return. 

28
 
“Find someone who you know 

genuinely cares and wants 

what’s best for you. This person 

may be a family member, a 

friend, a mentor, or a counselor. 

Find that person who has your 

best interests in mind, and with 

whom you feel you can totally 

be yourself.” 

MAKING A CONSCIOUS DECISION 

I made a conscious decision that my abductors had already taken away 9 months 

of my life, and I certainly was not going to give them any more time than that. 

We all have so much to live for. It is not worth living in the past. Each of us has 

so much potential in this world. I find it hard to believe that one experience can 

hold us back from being the individuals we want to be and stop us from doing 

the things we want to do. I know this can be a struggle for many kids who 

experience what we did. Hang on. Keep moving forward. Take one step at a time. 

It will get easier. 

One thing that I realized 

was that I could be in 

control of my own thoughts 

and feelings. Many people 

will want to pry and ask 

questions. Do not feel 

obligated to tell people your 

experience unless you want 

to. Most people do not 

want to hurt you; they are 

just curious and do not 

realize how to act or to treat 

you. But just because they 

ask, or do something nice 

for you, does not give them the 

right to know what you went through. What happened is your story, which you 

can choose to share or to keep private. You have the ability to choose what you 

want to say or do. 

We all have different ways of getting through our experiences after we come 

home. One of the ways I did this was to set goals, to work continually toward 

those goals, and then to set new ones. Finding healthy emotional outlets helped 

me a lot as well. One of my outlets was playing my harp. I could put my soul into 

my playing, which in return, for me, expressed how I felt better than talking to 

someone might have done. 

29
 
“In the end it all it comes down to our choices. 

Time is always passing and we have the option to 

stay in the same place forever or move on. As we 

move forward in our journey, life can continue to 

be everything that we want, even if it is different 

than what we thought it would be. I wish you a 

successful journey filled with many good choices. 

Lead the kind of life that you can look back at 

one day and say, ‘Wow, what a life!’” 

REACHING OUT 

When I needed someone, my family was incredible. Both my parents did more for 

me than anyone else could—they would have gone beyond any boundary for me. 

Another important person who really helped me was my grandfather. We would 

go horseback riding together and talk about geography, history, religion, politics, 

genealogy, animals, his life experiences ... anything I wanted. He was able to give 

me guidance because he genuinely cared about me. 

Another important part of coming to terms with my abduction was my faith. 

Having faith has helped me to understand some of the reasons why I had to 

go through what I did. In my experience, having religion as a part of my life not 

only helped me understand my trials better and brought me comfort, but it also 

provided a support group for me from other members of my faith. 

30
 
“I remember going hiking with my parents and 

some other close family members, up into the 

part of the woods where I was kept all those 

months. My mom asked me if I was ok, and I 

said, ‘I feel triumphant!’ This is where I was 

held hostage, and now I’m showing you. They 

can’t have this anymore.” 

31
 
“If you feel out of your comfort 

zone, don’t be afraid to get 

away from whatever is making 

you feel awkward, but don’t 

worry about it either.” 

— Lindsey 

SECTION 4: NAVIGATING THE ROADBLOCKS
 

As time goes on, you will learn to 

navigate this new course and things 

will get better. That doesn’t mean that 

it’s going to be easy, or that there won’t 

be difficulties. You may be faced with 

some bumps along the way that can 

be seen as nuisances or even major 

obstacles. There will probably be more 

than one opportunity to let yourself 

get sidetracked on this journey. 

Just as you feel that you 

are getting to your new normal, there may be 

events that seem to set you back—occurrences that trigger thoughts 

and emotions and turn your memory back to the abduction. 

Sometimes you may not know what triggers 

your memory, and sometimes you may. For 

us, these triggers were as simple as the smell 

of grass, a Coca-Cola can, a tollbooth on the 

turnpike, a red-haired man, a father with 

a 10-year-old son. They were also as 

complex as facing the abductor, revisiting 

the crime scene, or seeing the picture of 

another abducted child. 

You will not always know when you are about to come face-to-face with one of these triggers. But when they happen, look toward those you trust to help you through them. Take 

your time and find a safe place to cope with these emotions. 

Other circumstances made us get off track as well, ones that we did 

not realize we might face. Here are some of the events that you may 

also have to deal with and how we learned to navigate around the 

roadblocks. 

32
 
“You can’t control when you see or 

experience something that will 

remind you of what happened. 

You can’t stop the world and say, 

‘OK, from now on I can’t see any 

of this or be around any of that...’ 

But you can do your best to avoid 

triggers. You learn to recognize 

them, anticipate them, and cope 

with them.” — Maggie 

“I know I suffered from some 

symptoms of post-traumatic 

stress disorder but I don't 

think that I even knew what 

it was. I remember that I 

couldn't sleep in my own 

room alone. I always either 

slept on my parents’ floor or 

I had to have a friend to 

sleep by me.” — Trevor 

POST-TRAUMATIC 

STRESS DISORDER 

Many young people who were 

abducted have to deal with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

afterwards. This is a normal 

response to the kind of trauma 

you have experienced. PTSD can 

show up in different ways—you 

may feel fine one moment, then 

anxious, nervous, or uptight the 

next. You might experience nightmares or flashbacks. You may not 

remember everything that happened, and you may block out 

things that happened even before 

you were abducted. 

These moments of anxiety or panic can hit you out of the blue. 

Something ordinary—everyday sights, smells, sounds, or words can 

trigger one. You often won’t know what is a trigger for you until it 

has happened. 

Not everyone will have PTSD, and no two 

people will have it in exactly the same way. 

The important thing to know is that it is a 

natural response to the kind of experience 

that you have been through. Talk to someone you trust—a trained professional, a 

parent, a counselor, a teacher—about what 

you are feeling and work with them to find 

help. There are ways to help you deal with 

it and learn to cope. Don’t put added 

pressure on yourself to feel like you must 

deal with this by yourself. Most people 

can’t do it alone, and there are people who 

can help you. 

33
 
“I only go on media if I believe there’s a good purpose for it. 

I didn’t go on any media when I first came home, and when I 

finally decided to, I didn’t go on alone. If you don’t feel like 

you’re ready for it, you don’t have to. You can just say no. It’s not 

like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The media will still be 

there if you decide later you want to talk about your abduction. 

If you do decide to talk, let the media know where you stand, 

and don’t let them walk all over you. You still have rights as a 

human being. You have the right to tell them what you are or 

are not willing to talk about.” — Elizabeth 

“I started writing down answers 

to questions after talking with 

my dad. I wrote down things 

I should say if I didn’t quite 

know what I was feeling. I 

didn’t want to hurt people’s 

feelings, but felt that I did in 

the process. This helped me 

deal with their questions and 

feel better about me as well.” 

— Lindsey 

DEALING WITH THE MEDIA 

In many instances the media play a big role in bringing children home. They can get the word 

out about an abduction, who might be responsible, what kind of car was used, and where the 

abductor may be heading. They can help the police notify the public about your abduction and 

can help issue an AMBER Alert. The problem is that sometimes the media attention does not 

go away once you are recovered. The media will want people to see that you are okay, and to 

find out exactly what happened to you while you were gone. People may feel like they have 

invested something personally in your life. And they may have—they probably thought about 

you, worried about you, prayed for you, or 

maybe even joined the search for you. 

As true as that might be, you do not have a 

responsibility to them. Your responsibility 

is to help yourself heal and to do what is 

best for you. 

34
 
“The truth can easily get 

misconstrued, especially in the 

media. Always remember that 

it is your story, it is your life, 

and you can pick and choose 

what you want to do with 

anything. It’s ok to say no.” 

— Tamara 

You can choose whether or 

not you want to tell your story 

or how much of your story 

you want to tell. You can 

choose when, where, how, and 

to whom it is told. 

Do not feel obligated to talk to the 

media. Have your parents or people you 

trust help you make decisions about 

interacting with them. If you feel there is 

a good reason to talk, then tell the media 

what you want to say. If you don’t, then say no. 

You can also write down automatic responses to questions that you receive repeatedly, or 

those you think people will ask you. This will help you sort through your thoughts, express 

your feelings and emotions, and become more comfortable when questions come out of 

the blue. 

If your story did not receive media attention, it does not mean that what happened to you is 

any less traumatic than what happened to anyone else. You can be grateful for the opportunity to heal in private. Take advantage of the quiet space in which to make your choices about 

your future. 

>> Your automatic responses to questions: 

35
 
“Telling my story to the police was one 

of the hardest things I had to do right 

away. But the police officers who 

interviewed me were great. They were 

in street clothes, which helped. They 

addressed me by my first name, which 

was huge. They listened and focused 

their attention on me. They were very 

thorough, but they let it come out in 

my terms.” — Maggie 

POLICE INVESTIGATIONS
 

One thing that can be very difficult is telling the police everything that happened, whether it 

is right after you were recovered, or days, weeks, and months down the road. Sometimes an 

investigation can continue for a long time. There are moments when you feel like you’ve just 

returned to some kind of normal when the police show up to ask more questions and you 

have to relive the events again. This can be frustrating and confusing, and may even make 

you angry. 

Whenever you talk to the 

police, try to keep in mind 

that asking questions is 

part of their job. Answering their questions is an 

opportunity to take back 

control of your life. 

Whatever you can tell 

them will be helpful in 

stopping what happened 

to you from happening to 

anyone else. 

Be prepared: They are going to ask you graphic questions. Try to remember that they are 

there not to attack, but to listen. As hard as it is, it’s important to answer all of their questions 

honestly. When it seems like they are asking you the same thing over and over, as though they 

did not hear you or believe what you are saying, remember that they are trying to find out 

everything that happened. 

When you meet with law enforcement, take your time. Ask for what you need to feel safe as 

you answer their questions, whether that is having someone in the room with you or asking 

someone in particular to leave the room. Trust what you remember about the event. You are 

the only one in the room who was there. Give yourself time and tell them everything you 

can. Ask them questions if you do not understand what is going on or why they are asking 

specific questions. 

36
 
“I wish I had someone there for 

me and just for me...I wish I 

had a social worker just for me, 

who would do things just for 

me because I needed or wanted 

him/her to do it. Things like 

talking to the judge, or just 

getting things done. I was sick 

of stalling.” — Josh 

FACING THE 

PERPETRATOR 

Some survivors may have to face their 

abductors again. Every situation will 

be different and every survivor will 

handle the circumstances differently. 

If you were abducted by a family 

member, it will feel very different to 

face your abductor again than if you 

were abducted by a stranger. 

Survivors often go through the legal 

process to see that justice is done and face their 

abductors in that way. This can be incredibly challenging. Try to keep one thing in 

mind as you go through this: You’ve won. No matter what the outcome, you’ve already won. 

You are here, you survived, and you are moving on. 

THE COURT PROCESS 

Not every survivor of a crime has a chance to see justice done in court. If your perpetrator is 

caught, you are lucky. But that may mean that you have to face them in court. Although this 

may seem to be a negative, it can actually be a tremendous opportunity—one that you 

should consider taking full advantage of. 

Going through the legal 

process can represent a milestone in your recovery. But it 

can also be fraught with many 

emotions. Don’t feel bad about 

not wanting to go through a 

trial or face your attacker. The 

reality is nobody wants to go 

through a trial. 

The best thing to do in this circumstance is 

to ask someone to help you through the 

process—an advocate who is there solely for you, to explain what is happening and to ‘hold 

your hand’ through the legal proceedings of your case. Ask the police for the names of victim 

advocate programs in your community to help you through the legal process. 

37
 
VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT 

At the sentencing phase of your trial, 

as the survivor, you will have the 

opportunity to give a victim impact 

statement. This is your opportunity 

to say how you feel and how this 

experience has changed your life. 

Impact statements are given just 

prior to sentencing and are intended 

to influence the sentence the judge 

imposes. 

Preparing your statement. Hopefully you will be notified of 

your right to give an impact statement well in advance of the day of sentencing so you can 

prepare what you want to say. You don’t have to recite your statement from memory. You can 

write it out or type it. This is an experience that may trigger all sorts of emotions and bring 

back many memories. You may have a hard time standing up in a courtroom full of strangers 

and reading it to your perpetrator. 

Here are our words of advice: 

>> 	 Give yourself plenty of time to prepare it. 

>> 	 Go slow when you make your statement. 

>> 	 Try not to be afraid of the perpetrator. You will be well 

protected as you read your statement. There will be plenty 

of physical distance between you. 

If you want to make a statement but do not wish to speak, that’s 

fine. You can have an advocate or designated family member be 

your representative to speak on your behalf. You don’t even have to 

prepare a statement at all if you choose not to. 

38
 
“My abductor tried to destroy my 

life and it’s now my mission to 

prove that he failed to destroy 

me. I will not let him win the 

battle of taking my spirit, even 

if he tried to take everything 

else.” — Lindsey 

What do I say? You, as the survivor, are free to say pretty much whatever you want. This is 

your chance, through your demeanor and voice, to reveal to the world what kind of person 

lives beneath the surface. But a word of caution. Preparing your statement is completely different from actually delivering it with the perpetrator standing there. Your emotions may be 

high and very raw; that is to be expected. Cry if you need to. Take your time. Hold your head 

high if you can. You’ve worked hard on your journey to get to where you are at this point. 

Remember that the fact you are standing there with the ability to give the statement means 

that you have already won, regardless 

of the outcome of the trial. 

PAROLE HEARING 

Years may pass and then all of a 

sudden your perpetrator may be up 

for parole. Suddenly emotions may 

surface and you may once again face 

your feelings from years ago. At this 

time, the media may come back into 

your life, even though you felt you had 

reached a “new normal.” 

You have the right to be notified when your perpetrator is up for 

parole or is being released. You may have an opportunity to speak to 

the Parole Board before the hearing if you want. 

You can send letters to the Parole Board expressing your thoughts about the potential release 

of the perpetrator. Others can send letters as well. Know that your words and letters to the 

Parole Board can make a difference. It is once again your opportunity to take control and to 

let others know your feelings. 

39
 
“Through different circumstances, 

I’ve traveled a journey similar to 

yours. Just like you, I’m trying to 

find the ‘new normal’ in my life. 

Just like you, I am a survivor. 

And just like me, you are not 

alone in your journey.” 

MAGGIE’S STORY 

My name is Maggie and I am 29 

years old. I was born and raised in 

Ohio, where I currently live. I 

obtained a communications degree 

from Defiance College in 2001. I was 

the inaugural recipient of the NCAA 

Inspiration Award in 2002 in 

Indianapolis. Currently, I work full 

time as a victim advocate (specializing 

in domestic violence) with the city 

prosecutor where I live. In July 2008 

I will graduate from Capital University Law School’s paralegal program with a 

paralegal certificate, and I hope to further my career in law. 

It has been a long and difficult journey to this point, as I know it has been for 

you. I want to congratulate you; you’re courageous and already have come a long 

way. Your abduction is over. The worst is behind you. I hope, as you read this 

document, that you find strength and determination as well as some answers. 

I want to tell you a little bit 

about my story, and about 

things that can pop up along the 

way and threaten to detour you 

as you move along in yours. 

Throughout our lives we 

constantly ask ourselves, “Who 

am I? Where do I fit in? What 

do I have to offer the world 

around me?” I was asking these 

questions at the end of my freshman year in high school. Desperate to put a 

difficult year behind me, I tried out for the local cross-country team. It was there 

that I found my niche. I loved being a student-athlete. I embraced competitive 

running. I took immense pride in that role and the responsibilities that came with 

it. I loved who I became as a runner. And I loved cross-country. 

40
 
On Friday, September 16, 1994, a date I will never forget, the team and I started 

our run at 6 a.m. As we had routinely done for the past 3 weeks. I felt safe running the streets of my hometown. So safe that, at the 3-mile mark, I turned back 

early and headed back toward the school. With my headphones blaring I ran the 

well-lit streets, retracing my route back to the high school. I wasn’t more than a 

mile away from my destination when I was grabbed from behind by a man and 

pulled into an alley. He forced me at gunpoint back into a wooded area behind 

the local YMCA. 

About that same time, my mom was taking a walk with a friend. She suddenly 

stopped, having a strange feeling that something was wrong. She hurried home 

in time to hear the phone ring. It was my cross-country coach asking if I had 

returned from practice. “George, I know my daughter,” she told him. My mom 

knew that something was terribly wrong and demanded that he call the police 

immediately. 

A massive search was mobilized, without such technological advances as AMBER 

Alert. The local police officers awoke to realize that one of their own was missing, 

and that they had little to go on to mobilize a search. But they made so much 

happen that day. They didn’t wait 24 hours. They didn’t hesitate. They got right 

to work, using every source available. Everyone came to my little hometown to 

search for me. 

A law enforcement helicopter spotted me as my abductor held me hostage in the 

woods. Law enforcement officers invaded the area and rescued me. But those 4 to 

5 hours I was held captive had been terrifying—I was raped, strangled, buried 

under some brush, and shot. 

At the hospital I received amazing care by people with big hearts. Even though the 

actual medical procedures usually hurt and seemed to last forever, the doctors 

and nurses always put my well-being first. I am so grateful to them for the care 

they gave me those 13 days. 

Leaving the hospital proved to be a bump in the road I wasn’t expecting—the day 

I left the hospital was actually very difficult. I was so happy to be going home. I 

felt such triumph in how far I’d come. Yet, I was terribly sad to leave those I had 

41
 
“I have two older brothers who have handled 

this experience in totally different ways. A 

while after I came home, I went to them and 

said, ‘Look, we’ve never talked about what 

happened, but I want you to know that I am 

here. Ask me anything you want, whenever 

you want.’ One took me up on that and asked 

me a lot of questions. My other brother and I 

have never talked about it to this day. Both 

ways are fine. I’m still their sister, which will 

never change.” 

come to depend on. And believe it or not, I was nervous about returning to the 

life I led a few weeks earlier. I was filled with so many emotions: Excitement. Joy. 

Anxiety. Peace. Anticipation. Fear. You may have had similar emotions when you 

returned home, or even different ones. I found out later that this is normal. 

I did not realize this at first, but families suffer the experience with you—it’s kind 

of a ripple effect. It happened to you—and it happened to them. Even in a tightly 

bonded family, you may feel estranged from everyone around you. This too is 

normal. I found it helpful to find my own space and to set boundaries, to figure 

out what I needed and tell others what it was. If you need family constantly 

around you, so be it. If not, that’s okay, too. Just remember they love you, they 

looked for you, prayed for you, and did everything under the sun to find you. 

But just as we are different individuals, how we cope and deal with adversities 

is different—and sometimes different than even we expected. Some family 

members may want to talk about what’s happened, and others may not. You may 

want to talk, or you may not. Everyone deals with their experience in their own 

way. The important thing is to communicate what you want and what you need. 

42
 
“How have I gotten to where I am 

today? How have I gotten through 

adversities? My faith. My desire. 

My determination. I figured if 

what I endured was supposed to 

kill me, I would have died the 

day it happened. But I’m here. 

Life goes on. And I choose to go 

with it.” 

Remember that you are not responsible for anyone’s recovery but your own. I 

learned this early on as well. You may worry about your family and others, but 

ultimately you cannot control how they deal with things. Be sure your needs are 

met first so you can function, heal, and thrive. 

Along the road to recovery, I 

found that there were a lot of 

potential detours that I had to 

avoid. I had to face my abductor 

at the trial, which I had never 

anticipated. I had to appear before 

the Parole Board, which was 

something I never really thought 

about, either. To this day, certain 

things bring back memories of 

my abduction—men with red 

hair, the smell of grass. You, too, 

may experience things that trigger 

memories of what happened. And it seems like they surface when you least 

expect them. 

No one can tell you the best way to recover from what’s happened. No one has 

the perfect answer about how to get through the incredibly imperfect mess that 

you’ve gone through. For me, the process was to physically heal first. Then came 

the emotional healing. The key is your desire—your choice—to want to heal. 

To be better. To live. Only then can you move on. 

All of us who helped to put together this book can only give you suggestions 

about what worked for each of us—what made sense for each of us—based upon 

what we experienced. The reality is that it is up to you. You have the choice to 

move on. You have the choice to deal with this in a way that is beneficial for you. 

You have the opportunity to take something awful and figure out how it affects 

your life, not directs it. 

43
 
“If you think you aren’t strong or worth anything, think 

about the fact that you get out of bed everyday, right? 

You live everyday, right? You’re contributing to life, 

right? That’s power. That’s progress. That’s strength. 

That’s empowerment. Undoubtedly what happened to 

you has had a huge impact on you and your family, 

but it represents a mere fraction of what you are 

capable of accomplishing, of who you are, and most of 

all, what you can overcome. 

Whatever happens from here on out, know that most 

everything can be okay. You are amazing. No matter 

what happens, you’ve won. Don’t forget that. Ever.” 

FINDING YOUR STRENGTH 

It is not easy. Some days are more of a struggle than others. And though 

sometimes it feels like it will never get better, eventually, if you keep working on 

it, it will get better. Although at times you may feel that what’s happened to you 

has set you so far behind, it actually may have pushed you far ahead. You’ve been 

given tremendous exposure to a different view of life that so many never see. 

You have gained so much strength and wisdom and may not realize it. Instead of 

looking back on what you lost, look at what you’ve gained. Find your strength. 

44
 
Space for your thoughts: 

45 
“It took a long time to get to a 

‘new normal’ with my mother. 

It was not as if there was a 

‘normal’ that had just had a 

small glitch and then was to 

resume. I had my ‘normal,’ my 

mom had hers, and we had to 

somehow create a new reality 

that was about the present and 

future and not only about the 

lost shared past.” — Sarah 

SECTION 5: THE NEW NORMAL 

What you have experienced will, 

in some respects, change you for 

the rest of your life. Things cannot 

go back to exactly the way they 

were before your abduction. You 

may feel like you were forced to 

become an adult long before you 

should have. You may feel like your 

home life has been altered in some 

respect, whether it be a big change 

or a minor one. You may feel you 

have learned life lessons that not many 

others have learned. You may have a 

different outlook on things—a different 

appreciation for small things in life—a new perspective and resolve. 

None of these feelings are out of the ordinary. They are part of 

finding the “new normal.” 

SETTING BOUNDARIES 

It’s not easy for anyone to adjust when an 

abducted young person returns home. 

Everyone has new thoughts and new 

fears that were not part of everyday life 

before. Some families become very overprotective of their children. Some family 

members try to gain their own “15 minutes of fame” out of a child’s experience. 

Some families bond tightly together in 

the face of this kind of crisis. Others find 

that it threatens to tear them apart. 

46
 
“What did bother me was when 

people would find out that it was 

my father who abducted me, and 

they would assume that it was not 

a bad thing. I know that I was one 

of the lucky ones because even 

though my dad was wrong to take 

me, when I was with him I was at 

least physically safe. But it still took 

a chunk of my life away, and it hurt 

me in many ways. I’ve had a lot to 

deal with because of it. People need 

to understand that no matter who 

took you or what happened while 

you were gone, it’s still a traumatic 

event. No one’s story is any less valid 

than anyone else’s.” — Sam 

Your whole family will go on a 

journey towards empowerment. 

In some sense, the experience 

happened to all of you. But it’s very 

important to remember that you 

can only be responsible for your 

own recovery. You did not cause this 

event to happen, and you cannot fix 

the damage that resulted from it. 

The best you can do is help your 

family figure out what you need 

from them and set the boundaries. 

Talk with them about your needs 

and desires. Talk with them about 

what you need to help get you 

through this. Be honest with your 

thoughts. Some of us found that our 

brothers, sisters, or other relatives 

were good resources for us, and that 

they could act as mediators to help 

protect us from people who did not have our best interests in mind. They listened to us when 

we needed an ear, and helped us think though problems and how to face them. 

We know that each of our family issues and dynamics were different than yours will be when 

you are making your way through your journey. And although we have said it many times, 

the most important thing is to ask for help when you need it, verbalize what you need, and 

set boundaries and expectations so everyone knows what is best for each other. 

Just as you may need to ask your family for help or to give you space 

to figure things out, allow them to do the same. Take your time. 

47
 
“In the beginning I didn’t discuss 

things with my family. We didn’t 

talk about what had happened. I 

just wanted to be normal with 

them. I thought, ‘I’m still me, just 

treat me as I am.’ For me it was 

about needing to feel like I had 

control over talking about a time 

when all control was taken away 

from me. My family let me set the 

pace, and that was good.” 

— Tamara 

RETURNING TO SCHOOL 

Returning to school can be a major 

milestone in your recovery. There are a 

number of decisions you will have to 

make based on the circumstances of 

your abduction and what you and people 

you trust have decided is best for your 

situation. 

Don’t feel like you need to 

make all of these decisions on 

your own. In fact, make sure 

that you talk with your parents 

and maybe other adults you 

trust about what makes sense 

for you. 

Some of us returned to school right away because we needed the interaction and the 

normalcy. Others needed more time in a less visible environment to let the healing process 

begin. Whatever you decide, make sure it is a plan you and the people you trust are 

comfortable with. 

Here are some options you might want to consider: 

>> Go back to the same school right away. 

>> Change schools. 

>> Wait out the remainder of one school year and start the next. 

>> Homeschool. 

>> Go back half days at first to ease into the transition. 

48
 
“The best advice the counselors 

gave the other students was to 

take their cues from me. If I 

talked about it, it was okay to 

talk about it. If I didn’t, then 

they shouldn’t bring it up.” — Maggie 

If you and your parents decide that it is best for you to return to 

school, talk with teachers and counselors to help decide what is best 

for you and how to go about it. 

This is true for a school that you had been attending before your abduction, as well as a 

new school that you might attend. Meeting with the teachers before you return to school will 

give you an opportunity to help them understand what you need and what to expect when 

you are back in the classroom. It may also be an opportunity for you to ask the teachers and 

counselors what other kids in school are talking about and prepare yourself for the potential 

questions from them. It may be a good way to help you feel comfortable and ease back into 

the classroom. 

When you do go back to school, there will be elements you can’t control. People may look 

at you as you walk down the halls. You may hear whispers behind your back. Other students, 

and even some teachers, may ask you what seem like ridiculous questions. These can just be 

normal reactions from people. They may be happy to see that you are home safe and that 

you are okay. They may be worried about what to say to you right now. Try not to read too 

deeply into anything. Surround yourself with people who truly care about you at school to 

help you make the transition back to this part of your life. 

If you and your parents decide that it 

is best for you to be homeschooled or 

postpone your return to school, make 

sure that you find some positive, 

constructive outlets so you are not 

isolated from friends. See about 

returning to a music or dance class 

that you participated in before. Get 

involved in sports activities, school 

clubs, or something else positive for 

yourself that can help you begin to 

move towards a new normal in life. 

49
 
“In other people’s minds, I’ll 

always be 14 years old like the 

day I came home. But you have 

an opportunity to show them 

that’s not who you are. You 

have so much more to offer. If 

you give them a chance to get to 

know you, you can change that 

image.” — Elizabeth 

“I learned some things in the 

process. Do not get discouraged 

with your situation. Time does 

heal. You may never understand 

why other people don’t understand 

what you have been through, so 

don’t worry about it.” 

— Lindsey 

CELEBRITY STATUS 

Be prepared to live in a fishbowl when 

you get home. For at least a while, it’s 

going to feel like everyone is watching 

you, scrutinizing your decisions, and 

broadcasting everything from your 

bad hair days to your prom date. 

Sometimes it’s a result of all the media 

attention. Sometimes it’s just because 

everyone in a small town knows you 

now and was part of the effort to bring 

you home. Sometimes you may like the 

attention, but most of the time it 

becomes a nuisance and feels like an 

invasion of privacy. 

This is not an easy thing to manage, but try to get used to it. Talk with your parents or a 

trusted adult if the attention becomes too much for you. Ask for their guidance and advice 

on how to respond, what to say, and how to act. In time you will learn how to handle people 

who are polite about honoring your privacy and those who are not. For us, this was an 

opportunity to change our image from being a “victim” to a person who has overcome major 

challenges in life and gone on to do much more. Believe it or not, a time will come in your 

life when there are people around you who know nothing about the abduction. You will be 

known as a whole person apart from these circumstances. 

50
 
Space for your thoughts: 

51 
ALICIA’S STORY
 

Welcome home! You are one tough kid—you’ve 

survived. You’re probably a big ball of emotions 

right now. You may feel sad, angry, relieved, 

afraid, or guilty. You might even have all of these 

emotions at the same time—that is perfectly 

normal. There is no definite way you should 

feel. But one thing you certainly shouldn’t feel is 

guilt. You did nothing wrong. Over and over 

again you will hear people say, This isn’t your 

fault,” and “You’re the innocent victim.” 

Though this may be hard to grasp, it’s true! 

What gives me the credibility to say this? 

Like you, I am a survivor. And honestly, I just 

forgave myself this past year. I finally said to 

my mother, “I really am not to blame!” It took a 

very long time, 5 years to be exact, but it finally sank in and a huge weight was 

lifted from me. I finally felt free. Wow, what a glorious feeling! 

My name is Alicia. I am a college sophomore studying forensic psychology and 

am 19 years old. I want to tell you about my experience because I think it is 

important that you realize there are people out there who prey on children, and 

that there are things that you can do to protect yourself—rights that you have— 

to help you move forward in your journey from abduction to empowerment. 

When I was 13 years old I was lured away from the safety of my home by an 

Internet predator. Of course my parents warned me about strangers online. But 

to me this guy wasn’t a stranger. I thought he was my one true friend. He made 

me feel loved, beautiful, special, and unique which, when it comes down to it, is 

how we all want to feel. This is why I imagine that I felt obligated to meet him. 

He took me to his home a few States away and kept me chained for 4 days. I had 

a locking dog collar around my neck with a chain that was bolted to the floor 

beside his bed. He abused me. I had nothing to eat my entire captivity. I was 

terrified. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He threatened me constantly 

and at times carried through on his threats. 

52
 
“The reality is that even 

though you’re a child, 

you’ve just been through 

a very adult situation, 

and that is extremely 

difficult.” 

The day I was rescued, he was at work. I heard loud noises, the door crashing 

down, and then people screaming, “We have guns!” I was so frightened. At that 

moment, I was not sure what was happening, whether my abductor had sent 

someone to hurt me or if law enforcement had found me. I was terrified at the 

sight of the guns pointed towards me. I was so afraid until I saw the big bold 

yellow letters FBI on the back of their jackets. At that point I knew that I had 

been saved. 

That first night I was placed in a foster home until my parents could arrive. I felt 

that I was being swept away by all the emotions and activity, and it was all I could 

do to hold on. I was also really anxious to see my parents. Because of all the 

media coverage, it was decided that it was safest for my parents to fly up to see 

me the next morning. In the confusion, no one told me they weren’t coming that 

night. As I waited for them, I began to wonder whether they even wanted me 

home at all. When I finally did see them the next morning, my dad gave me the 

most amazing hug in the world. You could just about hear the Hallelujah chorus. 

It was such a happy reunion and was the first time I felt safe in 5 days. 

ARRIVING HOME 

I was like a big ball of emotions when I first came home. A lot of times my 

feelings were misplaced. I was angry about what had happened. Sometimes 

I would release my emotions on whoever was closest to me at that moment, even 

though it might not have had anything to do with them. I wasn’t sure how I 

should feel. It’s very hard to get a check on your emotions because they seem to 

be all over the place. 

A big problem for me was that I thought I was 

going to be just fine as soon as I got home again. 

I didn’t know I was going to keep hurting. I 

wasn’t all that familiar with post-traumatic stress 

disorder—not until this happened. The most 

common things became triggers, reminding me 

of what I had just been through—tollbooths and 

Coca-Cola cans for example. I am still learning 

what triggers me today. 

53
 
“I even asked the police 

whether they could write 

me an excuse for missing 

school. It seems kind of silly 

now, but you can get so 

confused about what is 

happening around you.” 

IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT 

It took me a while to realize that what happened to me was not my fault. This is a 

hard thing to realize. The reality is that there are people who prey on children— 

especially on the Internet—and that they know how to lure children away from 

the safety of their homes. They know what to say to children to make them feel 

special. They know how to get children to reveal more about themselves than they 

should. They know how to befriend and “groom” children to make them feel safe. 

A lot of kids feel like it is their fault and that their parents are going to be mad at 

them. But remember that your parents searched for you—they worried about 

you when you were gone and wanted to bring you home—and they can help you 

down the road to recovery. 

It was difficult when I finally got back home. I had changed and my life had 

changed. I started to rely a lot on humor to help me cope, but it was a very dark 

humor. I lost a lot of my shyness. I learned that it is important to talk to someone 

you trust about your feelings, and I am continuing to learn to ask for help if 

needed. 

Many of us turn to our parents in times of need, but sometimes some of us need 

to talk with other people who can help us work through our emotions. Seeking 

professional help to deal with all of the emotions and feelings is important, even 

though many of us may be uncomfortable thinking that we need to see someone 

like a “shrink.” Don’t turn your back on this option. I didn’t and it helped me. 

Another thing that was difficult was figuring 

out what to do about school. I worried about 

school the whole time I was gone. School 

was all I could think about. As it turned out, 

my parents made the decision to homeschool me to protect me and keep me safe. 

They thought it was best that I finish out 

eighth grade at home with my mom, and 

then start fresh the next year. 

When I went back to school for the ninth 

grade, I thought it would be a chance for a 

54
 
“If I were to give some advice, I 

would say that the key is to find 

a healthy balance. It may be 

difficult to do this on your own, 

so make sure you ask others you 

trust to help.” 

fresh start because it was a new school. But instead of getting “Hey, aren’t you 

the new girl?” people asked inappropriate questions and made inappropriate 

comments. Not only that, but because people felt they knew what had happened 

to me and knew about the darkest corners of my life, they thought they could 

share their traumatic experiences with me. At first I felt obligated to listen and to 

try to help them. But that became a huge responsibility—trying to deal with my 

problems while hearing about theirs. 

FINDING A BALANCE 

Although it was hard emotionally I had to overcome the negative comments and 

images that others incorrectly placed on me. I threw myself into dozens of clubs 

and activities, partly to stay busy so I didn’t have to think about things, and partly 

because I wanted to give people a chance to know me for something positive. 

I didn’t want to be “that girl” anymore. 

That was good in a sense, but it also 

took its toll. I would come home at 

night exhausted and just think, “What 

am I doing to myself?” 

REBUILDING TRUST 

So much trust is broken when you’ve 

gone through this kind of situation— 

trust in other people, trust in yourself 

and your ability to make decisions, 

trust in the world. I remember when I was little, I actually thought the world was 

like a Disney movie, where people were so happy that they would just burst into 

song. My abduction made me realize that there is evil in the world—and sometimes you can’t hide from it. You have to learn to live in a world where that kind 

of evil exists, and find a way to do something to make it a better place. 

First, you have to start rebuilding trust in yourself, then you can begin to trust 

others again. My family had trust issues with me, as well. My parents had the 

most difficult time giving me privacy because they were so concerned about me. 

My mom slept with the Internet cord underneath her pillow for a year. That 

couldn’t have been comfortable! Even now, anytime I am on the computer, they 

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“You might go back and forth 

between the negative and the 

positive actions and emotions, 

and that’s understandable— 

don’t beat yourself up about it. 

But look for the good things. 

The other things can numb the 

pain for a while, but they don’t 

fix it. You end up worse off than 

where you started.” 

want to know whom I am talking to and they always seem to magically be in the 

same room. 

Before I was kidnapped, I had been really shy and quiet, and most of the friends 

I had were people that I met online. After, my parents were scared to death (for 

good reason!) of letting me on the computer, so I lost those friendships. Their 

overprotectiveness was legitimate, given everything we went through. It just didn’t 

make it any easier to understand. It’s been a long, slow process of working out 

how I can have freedom and be a normal teenager, but still be safe. 

MAKING GOOD CHOICES 

When something like this happens, 

there is a void left in your life. 

You basically have two choices: You 

can fill it with negative things, like 

alcohol, drugs, or promiscuity; or 

you can fill it with good works and 

a good heart. It’s not easy to make 

the right choices. You’re still a kid, 

even though this very adult thing 

has happened to you. 

I made the decision to take this 

negative experience and turn it 

into a positive one. I made the decision that I am not going to let it define who 

I am and dictate the rest of my life. And I have made the decision that this 

experience will empower me to speak out in order to protect other children. 

I have become a strong advocate for children, particularly as related to Internet 

safety. Almost every Friday, I go into schools and talk to kids about my experiences. 

Though exhausting, I also find it extremely cathartic. Talking about what 

happened to me and saving kids from going through my horrors—Wow, what a 

miracle! I realized at some point that I would go through the whole experience 

again, if I would end up in the same place, because of the good that has come out 

of it. I’ve talked to kids who changed their behavior because of my story. If I can 

save just one life, ONE, then it’s all been worth it. On the days when it is a struggle 

56
 
“Not all of us choose to go down the path that I have 

chosen. I chose this for me because it is what I need, 

it is my passion, and it is my way of taking control 

and empowering myself to move forward in my 

journey. It is also about building trust again—in 

yourself and with others. And although the journey 

can be very hard, in the end you can find a path that 

is good for you—you can make the choice—for you 

are a survivor and you will come through this!” 

to get up and keep going, I think about the fact that I did survive, and there has to 

be a reason for that. There’s something more for me to do in this world and I 

want to do it! 

My commitment has allowed me to educate the public about ways to protect 

children and inform elected officials about the dangers lurking out there for 

children. When I think about it, it is amazing that here I am, 19-year-old Alicia, 

and I have something important to say that can help others. People are listening 

and changing things in society so that kids are kept safe. This has been an 

incredible journey for me. 

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A LETTER TO 

PARENTS 

Dear Parents, 

As sons and daughters who were 

abducted, thank you for everything you did to bring us back safely. We know that the experience was 

extremely hard on you and on your 

entire family. It is something we all 

wish had not happened, but it did. 

Your family will not be as it once was; 

it is going to be different now. We will all struggle to find the new normal in our lives. But we 

know that our return would not have happened if you had not been looking for us, and for 

that we are grateful—even if we can’t always say it. 

Together we can and will get through this. We will begin to reconnect 

in a way that is positive for all of us. It will not be easy. It is a long 

road ahead. We ask that you continue to help us through the process 

and be patient with us. 

There may be bumps along the way. It is not our fault that this happened, nor is it yours. 

Things may be different than before, but different is not always a bad thing. This experience can 

make us all stronger. It can make us appreciate each other more. And it can help us to move in 

directions that we never thought possible. 

We ask that you help us build trust again—in ourselves, and in others. Please make sure that we 

have someone to help us through our journey from abduction to empowerment—someone 

who we trust—someone who can help us deal with all that has happened in a constructive 

manner. Help us find someone who is just for us—someone we know we can trust to whom 

we can say anything and everything we need to say. 

There are some things we don’t want you to know. Please don’t take this personally. It’s not that 

we don’t trust you. It’s because we want to protect you. Let us do that. And at the same time, 

please find someone to help you take care of yourselves, and of our brothers and sisters. This 

happened to all of us. 

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We hope that you will find our words and stories comforting as they 

tell you that moving forward is possible, even if we move in another 

direction than before our abduction. Once again we thank you, for 

your patience, support, and help in our journey. 

“I realized at some point that I would go through the 

whole experience again, if I had to, because good has 

come out of it. I’ve talked to kids who have changed their 

behavior because of my story. If just one of those kids was 

saved from an Internet abduction, then it’s all been 

worth it. On the days when it’s a struggle to get up and 

keep going, I think about the fact that I did survive, and 

there has to be a reason for that. There’s something more 

for me to do. I want to do it.” — Alicia 

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WHERE TO FIND 

MORE HELP 

Everyone who has been abducted and returned 

has their own experiences and their own needs. 

There are probably many times that you wish 

you had somewhere to turn for support as 

you move down the road to finding the new 

normal for yourself. Individuals whom you 

may have turned to in the past might not be 

the ones you feel comfortable talking with 

right now. You may need answers to specific 

questions, information about resources that 

might be available, suggestions on where 

else you can turn. 

The most important thing is to find someone who you trust to 

talk with: 

>>	 Your parents. 

>>	 A professional counselor or therapist. 

>>	 Someone facing similar circumstances. 

>>	 A trusted adult like a relative, lifelong babysitter, or family 

friend. 

>>	 A member of clergy. 

>>	 A school counselor, teacher, scout leader, or coach—someone 

whom you know and trust. 

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Other resources are available to offer information and support for 

families of missing children. Here are some places you can turn to 

for more help: 

� The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has been committed to 

youth for more than 30 years. One of the most important goals of OJJDP is to keep 

children safe through such programs as the Internet Crimes Against Children Program 

and the AMBER Alert Program. To access information about the resources of OJJDP, 

visit their Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp. 

� The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was established 

in 1984 to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; find missing children; 

and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the 

professionals who serve them. To access their resources, visit their Web site at 

www.missingkids.com or call NCMEC at 800–THE–LOST (800–843–5678). 

� Every State, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada, has a Missing 

Children Clearinghouse, which is designed to provide support and assistance to families 

of missing children. You can find a listing of every State Clearinghouse on the NCMEC 

Web site at www.missingkids.com. On the left side of the page, click on the tab for 

resources for parents and guardians. 

� The Association of Missing and Exploited Children’s Organizations is a membership 

organization of nonprofit local agencies in the United States and Canada that provide 

services to the families of missing children. They can help with resource referrals as well 

as advocacy, poster and flyer development and dissemination, and aid to local law 

enforcement. Visit their Web site at www.amecoinc.org or call them at 877–263–2620. 

� Team H.O.P.E. (Help Offering Parents Empowerment) is a parent mentoring and support 

program for families of missing children. Made up of parent volunteers, Team H.O.P.E. 

provides mentoring services, counseling, and emotional support for both parents and 

other family members. Volunteers can be reached at 866–305–HOPE (4673). 

� Take Root provides support and assistance to children who have been abducted by a 

family member. Take Root can be reached at 800–ROOT–ORG or by visiting their Web 

site at www.takeroot.org. 

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� Through the Office for Victims of Crime, all States, the District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the territories of American 

Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands receive victim 

assistance grants to support direct services to crime victims. Grants support domestic 

violence shelters; rape crisis centers; child abuse programs; and victim service units in law 

enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, hospitals, and social service agencies. These 

programs provide crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice 

advocacy, emergency transportation, and related services. Through Victims of Crime 

Act funding, State agencies within the United States and U.S. territories have established 

compensation programs to reimburse crime victims and assistance programs to offer 

victim services. Information about these services can be found at 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/links.htm. 

NOTES 

This document is one of three important publications developed by the Department of 

Justice to assist and support children and families who have suffered the trauma of a child 

abduction. In 1997 the Department of Justice worked with parents of abducted children to 

create a guide to help families cope with the loss of a child, titled When Your Child Is Missing: 

A Family Survival Guide. In 2007, the Department of Justice worked with the left-behind 

brothers and sisters of abducted children to make sure they are no longer the forgotten 

victims. With their assistance, a guide titled What About Me: Coping With the Abduction of a 

Brother or Sister was written and a video produced to help brothers and sisters cope. All three 

publications are important tools not only for families, but for friends, acquaintances, and 

professionals who deal with the abduction of a child. All three publications are available from 

the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at www.ncjrs.org. 

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

A project like this takes many hands to 

turn it from a vision to reality. No one 

person could have done this on his or 

her own. 

We would like to thank personally 

several individuals for their 

contributions to this document. 

Our thanks first go to J. Robert 

Flores, the Administrator of the 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, for his 

leadership and commitment to children and families. Many thanks go to Ron Laney, 

Associate Administrator of the Child Protection Division, Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, not only for his leadership on this 

project but for his tireless commitment to helping children. We want to thank Helen 

Connelly of Fox Valley Technical College for her direction, guidance, and compassion. 

Thank you to Cheri Hoffman, Julie Kenniston, and Lori St. Onge for walking with us 

throughout the process. Finally, thanks to Katherine Lenard of FasterKitty, LLC for 

envisioning and designing the final product. You all played such an important role in 

making this document a reality! We cannot thank you enough. 

Many other people were part of this process as well and deserve our gratitude: Harriet 

Heiberg and Tom Weeden of Fox Valley Technical College; Catherine Doyle of OJJDP; 

Tom Cullen of Lockheed Martin; Lynn Miller; Liss Hart-Haviv from Take Root; Nancy 

Sabin of the Jacob Wetterling Foundation; and Abby Potash from Team HOPE. Thank you 

for working with us to communicate this important message and these words of hope and 

encouragement. 

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YOUR STORY
 

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