NCJ Number
161269
Date Published
Unknown
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The abduction of children by family members is examined with respect to its extent, causes, and potential improvements in the current responses by law enforcement, legislators, and others.
Abstract
The United States Department of Justice National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children in 1990 revealed that as many as 354,100 cases of family abduction occur each year. The child experienced serious mental harm in approximately 56,000 cases, serious physical harm in approximately 14,000 cases, physical abuse in another 14,000 cases, and sexual abuse in 3,500 cases. Another recent study revealed that in 80 percent of the cases, the motive was either anger or to cause pain. Factors that suggest that the problem will continue to grow include changes in the family and the numbers of children at risk, changes in law and policy that have made divorce easier and increased the likelihood of child custody disputes, demographic changes, and geographic mobility. Needed changes include missing children clearinghouses in all States, the creation of child protection units under State attorneys' general, greater uniformity of laws, and efforts to resolve child custody issues through negotiation rather than the adversarial system. Additional recommendations