Child abduction data

 a link to a govt report on non family abductions of children.(2002)

Summary:

During the study year, there were an estimated 115 stereotypical kidnappings, defined as abductions perpetrated by a stranger or slight acquaintance and involving a child who was transported 50 or more miles, detained overnight, held for ransom or with the intent to keep the child permanently, or killed.

In 40 percent of stereotypical kidnappings, the child was killed, and in another 4 percent, the child was not recovered.40 percent of them were killed.... 

 italics mine.

then you come down to this: if you broaden the criteria, a lot more children are at risk (if you read the report, most are teenagers).

There were an estimated 58,200 child victims of nonfamily abduction, defined more broadly to include all nonfamily perpetrators (friends and acquaintances as well as strangers) and crimes involving lesser amounts of forced movement or detention in addition to the more serious crimes entailed in stereotypical kidnappings.

 

■ Fifty-seven percent of children abducted by a nonfamily perpetrator were missing from caretakers for at least 1 hour, and police were contacted to help locate 21 percent of the abducted children.

■ Teenagers were by far the most frequent victims of both stereotypical kidnappings and nonfamily abductions.

■ Nearly half of all child victims of stereotypical kidnappings and nonfamily abductions were sexually assaulted by the perpetrator.

again, italics mine. 

so maybe it is a problem.

the victims are all sorts, but black teenage girls are the most common victim, and the perpetrator tends to be young men. 

The majority of the ones doing the abduction were not complete strangers and usually the victim was returned to caregiver after a short time. 

but this is disturbing:

For 53 percent of all nonfamily abduction victims, police were not contacted about the episode for any reason, not even to report the crime (table 8). The reasons for not reporting suggest that some portion of these nonfamily abductions were not thought to involve serious threats to the child.

this is bad but alas understandable. 

My patients who were abused said the court case was more traumatic than the actual incident, especially being accused on the stand of being a liar....and if the perpetrator was known, he would say that she did it voluntarily so it wasn't a crime. 

 

but the actual number of sexually abused children and teenagers is even higher.

not included: Various risk surveys of teenagers who said they were forced to have sex, have sex below age 13, or faced physical or mental violence in schools. 

Sigh.