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Varieties of Nonfamily Abduction of Children and Adolescents

NCJ Number
156992
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 215-232
Author(s)
N L Asdigian; D Finkelhor; G Hotaling
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article reports on several analyses of nonfamily abduction data gathered by the National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART) to explore possible distinctions between stereotypical abductions and legal- definition abductions.
Abstract
A survey of 396 cases extracted from police records showed that stereotypical abductions, which involve an extended period of time, long distances, and demands of ransom, need to be treated as a distinct group of nonfamily abductions. However, these account for only a small portion of all legal-definition nonfamily abductions. These cases usually involved more preteen white children taken by white perpetrators for reasons other than sexual assault. Other nonstranger cases were characterized by a higher percentage of female perpetrators and non-white victims who were abducted while under conditions of supervision at home or at school. Additional analyses supported the connection between legal- definition abduction and the crime of sexual assault. The categories of robbery facilitation, hijackings, and acts of retribution emerged as separate categories of nonfamily abduction. 5 tables, 8 notes, 13 references, and 1 appendix