CHILDREN AT RISK: My Fight Against Child Abuse--A Personal Story and A Public Plea

A combination personal saga and political-action tract on the current public focus on child abuse by the Florida Senator. Hawkins recounts the personal agonizing she went through that led her to decide to publicly announce that she herself had been abused at the tender age of five. Fortunately for her, she was brought up in a family brimming over with love and support that enabled her to get on with her life. Hawkins' concern is for the many children who, lacking this kind of support, end up being destroyed by their bitter experiences. She tells of her efforts to get the Missing Children Act into law (focusing upon the testimony of John Walsh, father of the ""Adam"" of the terrifying TV movie), despite the obstructionist sentiments of the FBI, who insisted that the problem had to be handled by local authorities. The Senator offers much advice on how best to communicate with youngsters. She also provides specific advice to assist in having a missing child returned safely. It includes: keeping an exact written description of your child, taking color photographs every six months, noting each day what your child wears to school, making a videotape of your child, taking fingerprints, and knowing where to locate the child's medical and dental records. A strong plea for the helpless.