It is estimated that a child is missing or abducted in this country every 40 seconds. (US Dept. of Justice)
I chose parental kidnapping as a topic because it widely affecting the world but is always overlooked. And myself being from a divorced home where this could have happened. I think it is very important.
The social work dictionary defines child snatching as:
"The illegal act of removing a dependent child from the illegal care and authority of the parent or guardian, usually by another of the child's relatives. Most typically, child snatching occurs among families that are dissolving, as in divorces or foster care placement, and one of the former caregivers does not accept the legal ruling granting custody to another person or group. The unauthorized person takes the child and often conceals the child's whereabouts or otherwise keeps moving so that the authorities have difficulty returning the child to the rightful custodian."
English: Mrs. Laura Bush hugs Rae Leigh Bradbury W...
Preventing Parental Child Abduction 2
Preventing Parental Child Abduction 1It also can be found in the social work dictionary under kidnapping, which is:
"The crime of taking persons by force or manipulation and holding them against their will or that of their legal guardian."
And under abduction:
" To transport someone against that persons will often by force or coercion, or, if the person is a child, without the consent of the parent or legal guardian.
In May of 1990 the US Department of Justice released a study reporting that in 1998 there were as many as:
*114,600 attempted abductions of children by non-family members!
*4,600 abductions by non-family members reported to police!
*300 abductions by non-family members where the children were missing for long periods of time or were MURDERED!
*450,000 children were runaways!
*127,000 children who were abandoned!
*438,200 children who were lost, injured, or otherwise missing!
*354,000 children abducted by family members!...