NCJ Number
188658
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 70 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2001 Pages: 1-10
Date Published
April 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This analysis of child abduction investigations explains the child development issues involved and emphasizes the need for police agencies to understand the role and impact of these developmental issues and to prepare themselves by establishing investigation protocols and memoranda of understanding with adjacent police agencies.
Abstract
Contemporary analyses of nationally representative child abduction patterns demonstrate that law enforcement and criminal justice professionals can better understand the dynamics of child abduction by assessing child victimization from a developmental perspective. Thus, children from birth to 5 years generally have a greater risk of victimization by parents or other trusted caregivers. In contrast, more independent school-age children who experience lapses in supervision by caretakers are more accessible and more often victimized by acquaintances or strangers outside their homes. The interpretation of offender motivations and behaviors often is complicated. Other issues for investigators are false reports and inaccurate reports. Agencies also need to address training and the role of technologies such as computer-aided case management systems and geographic profiling services. The analysis concludes that each abduction case is unique and requires thorough investigations that include detailed victimology, intensive neighborhood and roadblock canvases, timely witness interviews, detailed crime scene searches, media coordination, and common sense. Information about the National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person File, photographs, and reference notes