NCJ Number
183375
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 44 Issue: 3 Dated: May 1999 Pages: 539-553
Date Published
May 1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study reviews age-based analyses of offender, victim and offense characteristics in alleged child abductions.
Abstract
Previous studies on child abduction suffer from limited geographical scope or fail to base predictive analyses on victim characteristics. This study reports the results of a nationally representative sample of 550 cases of alleged child abduction obtained from Federal Bureau of Investigation files for the period 1985 through 1995. Both offender and offense characteristics varied significantly according to victim age, gender, and race. Such differences appeared critical to crime reconstruction, criminal profiling, and investigative resolution. Additionally, these data suggest that current child abduction prevention programs may emphasize inaccurate offender traits. The developmental victimology profiles described in this study could benefit law enforcement and forensic professionals, particularly at the onset of an investigation where the only information consistently known is the victim’s age, gender, and race. Providing law enforcement with sound, predictive case typologies could facilitate more rapid case resolution, while increasing preservation of physical evidence. Tables, figures, references