All OJJDP publications may be viewed and downloaded on the publications section of the OJJDP website.
When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide (5th Edition)
NCJ 305831
This resource is intended to help families identify, prioritize, and take actions that can assist law enforcement efforts to locate their children and return them home safely. Much of the guide comprises checklists with critical information to help families navigate uncharted territory and work with law enforcement, the media, search and rescue professionals, and the many volunteers and individuals they may encounter. It also suggests ways to help families maintain their financial, physical, and emotional well-being. The guide defines terminology for understanding the different types of missing persons cases and includes contact information for federal, state, Tribal, local, and nonprofit entities that work with and support families with missing children and the law enforcement agencies working their cases.
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Child Protection: Dependency Courts (In Focus Fact Sheet)
NCJ 254816
OJJDP In Focus Series
This updated fact sheet describes OJJDP’s support for judges and court personnel that handle cases involving abused and neglected children. OJJDP funds the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program, which recruits and trains volunteers who serve as advocates to represent the best interests of children in child dependency cases, ensuring they do not get lost in the legal or social service systems. OJJDP also provides training and technical assistance to judicial, legal, and social service professionals to improve their understanding of and response to child abuse cases. Between fiscal years 2020 and 2022, the Office awarded more than $44.3 million to improve the court system’s handling of child maltreatment cases.
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2022 Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Persons: Age 21 and Under
NCJ 306616
This data sheet includes four charts based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person File. In 2022, there were 10,123 incidents of missing American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons—65 percent were minors between 12 and 17 years of age; 29 percent were 21 years of age or older. Of the 5,491 incidents of missing AI/AN females, 71 percent were minors between 12 and 17 years of age. Those entries accounted for 39 percent of all incidents of missing AI/AN persons. Of the 4,629 incidents of missing AI/AN males, 57 percent were between 12 and 17 years of age; 36 percent were 21 years of age or older.
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