Returned Vs. Missing Children in Child Abductions

About half of child abductions are by family members of the child. In nearly all of these cases, the abducted child is returned to the rightful parent or parents unharmed. Having said that, statistics on child abduction have shown that children abducted by family members have mental and psychological issues stemming from the abduction.

Only 4 percent of stranger abductions led to the child never being found. In over 40 percent of stranger abduction cases, the child was murdered. The overwhelming majority of stranger kidnappings lasted less than 24 hours.

The same was true for non-family abductions, such as those by acquaintances of the child, though in these cases one-third of the abductions lasted 3 hours or less. The abducted child is returned 99 percent of the time in non-family abductions, while stranger abductions only returned the child safe 57 percent of the time.

The large majority of child abduction cases end with children being returned to their homes. That being said, when children are returned following an abduction, they can often retain harmful, damaging memories. The psychological impact of such a traumatic experience is not one that a mind not yet fully matured can easily overcome.

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