Buddy Bear was first introduced on May 15, 1991 during Police Week. During this time, over 400 bears have been given out to children in distressing situations. These bears have been utilized in many ways. The Buddy Bear is used for calming down children that have been involved in stressful or traumatic situations such as: car accidents, sexual abuse, domestic violence, parents being arrested, ambulance calls, stranded motorist, custiodial disputes and detectives interview.