In the United States, a child is reported missing or abducted every 40 seconds, totaling about 840,000 every year. In many of these cases, the culprit is either a family member or a relative.
Almost half (49%) of all reported child abductions in the US are committed by a relative or a family friend. In comparison, 27% of all child abductions are committed by an acquaintance of the child or the family, and only 24% are committed by strangers.
This is according to statistics from McFarling Law Group, which noted that most child abductions happen either at home or within a quarter mile of the house.
Why Are Child Abductions Involving Family Members Prevalent?
Of all family members, parents are the most common abductors, responsible for over 90% of all family abduction cases. When it comes to specifics, fathers and male relatives account for 64% of all child abductions, while mothers are responsible for 60% of family abductions, per Masters Law Group.
Speaking to WCTI12 News, Maj. David McFadyen from the Crave County Sheriff's Office said child abduction victims are usually infants to children aged 10.
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"Often times children can be used for purposes of power or punishment in relationships," he said.
McFadyen added that law enforcement is limited in what they can do and how they can help the families of abducted children if there are no legal custody orders, especially if one of the parents lives out of state. Additionally, he noted that they cannot issue AMBER Alerts if there is no evidence of harm to the child.
An AMBER Alert is an emergency response system designed to disseminate information about child abductions to the public. An alert would include the name, age, and description of the abducted child, a description of the suspected abductor, details of the vehicle used in the incident (if available), and the license plate number (if known).
What Are the Implications of Child Abductions?
Both family and stranger abductions have potential negative impacts on children. In 16% of abduction cases, children experience serious mental harm. In 4% of all cases, the child suffers either physical harm or physical abuse.
Sexual abuse is also recorded in 1% of all cases of child abductions, as reported by Hawaii's Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division.
