NCJ Number
196760
Date Published
October 2002
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This series of questions and answers provide an overview of the purpose, methodology, and findings of the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-2).
Abstract
Five questions comprise this publication: (1) what is NISMART; (2) have abductions by strangers declined or increased; (3) why can’t I compare NISMART-1 statistics with NISMART-2 statistics; (4) when were the data for NISMART-2 collected; and (5) when will the study results from NISMART-2 be released? NISMART studies were undertaken in response to the Missing Children’s Assistance Act requiring the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to conduct periodic studies of the number of children reported missing in the United States and the number of children recovered during any given year. The studies involved large national surveys of parents, other primary caregivers, and children who were interviewed about their experiences. The NISMART-2 studies were conducted during the period 1997 through 1999. Initial NISMART-2 findings are available in four NISMART publications covering the following topics: unified estimates of missing children, family abductions, nonfamily abductions, and runaway/thrownaway children. Footnote