According to the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-2) Bulletin, Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics, an estimated 203,900 children were victims of a family abduction in 1999. Among these, 117,200 were missing from their caretakers, and, of these, 56,500 were reported to authorities for assistance in locating the children. Forty-four percent of family-abducted children were younger than age 6. Fifty-three percent of family-abducted children were abducted by their biological father, and 25 percent were abducted by their biological mother. Forty-six percent of family-abducted children were gone less than 1 week, and 21 percent were gone 1 month or more.
For information on more recent NISMART Bulletins, see the New Publications section of this newsletter.
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