Child Abduction in the U nited S tates

Abstract Child abduction is every parent's worst nightmare. However, even missing‐persons professionals do not know exactly how many children are abducted each year. Nonetheless, we do know that relatively few children, perhaps 10 percent, are abducted by strangers. Approximately 78 percent are believed to be abducted by a family member and 12 percent by a family acquaintance. Although motivations for a given abduction vary, most can be grouped into four broad categories: emotion‐based, sexual predation, profit, and maternal desire. No matter who is the perpetrator or what their motive, the families of abducted children suffer greatly, as do the children themselves. To help prevent child abductions, local and state governments have enacted Amber Alert Programs, and the national government has passed legislation to protect children and punish their abductors. Despite all that has been done, more consistent research needs to be conducted and legislation approved that is responsive to research findings.