Conclusion

The complexity of the concept of a missing child is evident in these data, which show that children become missing because of a wide range of circumstances. This complexity has implications at two levels: finding the individual missing child and developing policies to address the broader problem.

An analogy from the medical domain offers context for understanding the implications at both levels. The symptom of chest pain can arise from many different sources—some relatively minor (indigestion, muscle sprain), some potentially very serious (heart attack, gall bladder attack). Only with a differential diagnosis is it possible to know which specialist to consult and how to address the problem. Similarly, a missing child can indicate a relatively innocuous situation (such as a misunderstanding about where the child should be) or something quite serious (a stereotypical kidnapping). Caretakers and others who are attempting to find an individual missing child need to know why the child is missing—the type of episode—in order to resolve the crisis. Policymakers who are attempting to address the broader problem of missing children need information about the relative frequency of the different types of episodes in order to develop effective strategies for reducing the problem and design appropriately scaled interventions. Other Bulletins in this series contribute to the policymaking effort by providing details from NISMART–2 about children who experienced each type of episode.