The Third National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children

The purpose of this research project is to replicate the critical design components of NISMART-2 to support accurate trend analyses. NISMART-3 will provide updated information on the national incidence of missing children, their characteristics, and the events that cause them to become missing and to measure changes since NISMART-2. This will assist law enforcement and community service providers in shaping their future responses and prevention policies. NISMART-3 will include four national studies: a household survey of parents and other primary caretakers, a household survey of youth, a survey of juvenile residential facilities, and a law enforcement study. Together, these studies will assess the incidence of episodes that cause children to become missing: family abductions, nonfamily abductions (including stereotypical kidnappings), runaway/thrownaway events, lost or injured situations, and benign missing misunderstandings. Additionally, the study will identify the incidence of children who qualify as missing and the numbers recovered.

CA/NCF

OJJDP has a specific mission to develop and disseminate knowledge about what works to prevent juvenile delinquency and violence and improve the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. § 5601 et seq authorizes the Administrator of OJJDP to conduct research or evaluations and undertake statistical analyses on a wide range of juvenile justice matters. OJJDP also provides funding to states and localities to carry out research, evaluation, and statistical analyses.

The purpose of this research project is to replicate the critical design components of NISMART-2 to support accurate trend analyses. NISMART-3 will provide updated information on the national incidence of missing children, their characteristics, and the events that cause them to become missing and to measure changes since NISMART-2. This will assist law enforcement and community service providers in shaping their future responses and prevention policies. NISMART-3 will include four national studies: a household survey of parents and other primary caretakers, a household survey of youth, a survey of juvenile residential facilities, and a law enforcement study. Together, these studies will assess the incidence of episodes that cause children to become missing: family abductions, nonfamily abductions (including stereotypical kidnappings), runaway/thrownaway events, lost or injured situations, and benign missing misunderstandings. Additionally, the study will identify the incidence of children who qualify as missing and the numbers recovered.

CA/NCF

This program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants and cooperative agreements for research and evaluation activities to organizations that OJJDP designates.

The purpose of the National Incidence Studies of Missing Abducted Runaway and Thrownaway Youth (NISMART) 3 is to support multiple research methods that together will comprehensively measure the scope and nature of the nation's missing children problem and estimate the number of missing children recovered each year.

NISMART 3 includes not only the measurement of the number of stereotypical kidnappings by strangers, but also the prevalence of familial abductions; lost, injured, or otherwise missing children; runaway; and thrownaway children(children thrown out of their home by their caretaker). This is accomplished via surveys of households, juvenile residential facilities, law enforcement agencies, and other entities that may record information on missing child episodes.

NCA/NCF