According to the US Department of Justice, more than 250,000 children are abducted each year. This book explains the types of kidnappings, details government and law enforcement efforts to prevent and solve them, and explores the many practices and programs, such as the AMBER Alert, to help protect children.

"The U.S. Department of Justice reports that as many as 200,000 children are victims of family abduction each year. Although the majority of abducted children are taken not by a stranger, but by a parent or family member, the issue of family abduction remains laden with misconception and myth. Serious missing-child cases that have devastating effects on the child are too often seen as divorce and custody matters, something private that the public and law enforcement should not concern themselves with. The truth is that family abduction can be as physically dangerous and even deadly for the child victims as any other form of child abduction. Most often, however, the worst damage is imperceptible to the eye, occurring deep within the child, leaving traces that may last a lifetime. This publication offers insights into what it means to be abducted by a family member. Written from the perspective of the child and searching parent, it is designed to help you, the reader, understand the unique characteristics of family abduction and the nightmare that they have experienced. Although the individual circumstances surrounding the authors' cases show the multifaceted diversity of family abduction, the one thing they have in common is that they were all "missing child" cases. The child victims in these cases were concealed by their abductor, hidden not just from their searching family, friends, schools, and community but also from the justice and child protection systems. Our objective is to increase understanding of the crime of family abduction and empower the reader to though fully assist in the immediate and long-term recovery of a child. Whether you are the searching parent, an abducted or former abducted child, a family member, a professional responder, a neighbor, a teacher, or an advocate, you can begin to comprehend what is happening and why a child-centered response, as outlined throughout this book,is so important"--From About this book on p. ix.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice presents the full text of a bulletin entitled "Early Identification of Risk Factors for Parental Abduction," published in March 2001. The bulletin discusses the risk factors associated with parental kidnapping and strategies that may be used to intervene with families at greatest risk. The bulletin highlights research findings related to the risk factors and the effectiveness of the legal system's response to family abduction.

A look at the history of child kidnappings and abductions in the United States, the motives of the perpetrators, the activities of the media, and the results in the law and in public opinions.

Kidnapping: An Investigator's Guide to Profiling is based on a three-part analysis of 100 randomly selected kidnapping cases prosecuted in the United States that have survived Supreme Court appeal. The results of the analysis are incorporated into each chapter as part of the exploration of the inductive profile of each kidnapping subtype, thereby offering a statistically based tool that can inform investigative strategies and the allocation of limited resources. The analysis includes standardized input from four levels of professional law enforcement including a forensic psychologist, a crime analyst, a detective, and a city prosecutor. In addition to chapters pertaining to the kidnapping subtypes – Domestic Kidnapping, Predatory Kidnapping-Adult Victim, Predatory Kidnapping-Child Victim, Profit Kidnapping, Revenge Kidnapping, Staged Kidnapping, and Political Kidnapping - an introductory chapter is dedicated to the evolution of U.S. kidnapping law and intervention strategies, including a review of relevant case law (Megan's Law, Amber Alert). Appendices include a concise summary of all the subtypes and Tabletop Drills that law enforcement can use to support potential kidnapping victims prepare and better respond to a kidnapping threat. The second edition also includes a discussion of the relationship between kidnapping and human trafficking, as well as a new Appendix focused upon effective interview strategies with the victim-witness. - A statistically-based tool that can inform investigative strategies in kidnapping cases - An essential resource for any professional who regularly deals with the subject of kidnapping - Contains appendices that provide a concise summary of the statistical information presented in the text - Analysis of 100 randomly selected kidnapping cases prosecuted in the United States that have survived Supreme Court appeal

A chilling true crime book that chronicles the wave of abductions that terrorized the U.S. during the Great Depression, including the most infamous kidnapping case in American history. "A thrilling account that puts the 1932 Lindbergh baby kidnapping case, billed as "the crime of the century," in the context of the thousands of other kidnappings that occurred in the U.S. during the Prohibition and Depression eras...will enthrall true crime fans."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review The Great Depression was a time of desperation in America—parents struggled to feed their children and unemployment was at a record high. Adding to the lawlessness of the decade, thugs with submachine guns and corrupt law-enforcement officers ran rampant. But amidst this panic, there was one sure-fire way to make money, one used by criminals and resourceful civilians alike: kidnapping. Jump into this forgotten history with Edgar Award-winning author David Stout as he explores the reports of missing people that inundated newspapers at the time. Learn the horrifying details of these abduction cases, from the methods used and the investigative processes to the personal histories of the culprits and victims. All of this culminates with the most infamous kidnapping in American history, the one that targeted an international celebrity and changed legislation forever: the Lindbergh kidnapping. The Kidnap Years is a gritty, visceral, thoughtfully reported page-turner that chronicles the sweep of abductions that afflicted all corners of the country as desperate people were pushed to do the unthinkable. "A fascinating crime book like no other."—David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist