When planning for your family’s safety, definitions can be important. If everyone is on the same page about what a word means, it’s easier to have clear, concise communications on any given topic. The way that we define words can shape the conversations that we have about them, so knowing the definition of child abduction will allow your family to have more direct conversations about it when planning on how you might avoid such an unfortunate event happening to one of your loved ones.
The Legal Definition Of Child Abduction.
Legally, child abduction is defined as the malicious taking, enticing, keeping, withholding, or concealing of any minor from their parent or legal custodian, while the person doing the act does not have any legal claim or custody of the minor. This includes strangers and acquaintances, but it can also include relatives such as parents, step-parents, uncles, aunts, or even grandparents.
In most cases when an abduction is carried out by a parent, it happens during a custody battle. That doesn’t mean that this is the only time that this can occur, there are many situations where a parent can abduct their own child. If someone’s set custody period is over and they refuse to give the child to the other parent, this can also fall under child abduction. Different actions can fall under abduction depending on the state and also the custody agreement.
How Does This Help You?
By making definitions simple, it makes it easier for you to understand what counts as an abduction, and when to know when to contact the authorities. Not every case of abduction is as obvious as a stranger taking your child from a public place, such as a park or supermarket, and that’s exactly why it’s so important to know what falls under child abduction so that you can know your custodial rights in any given situation.
Some Abduction Statistics.
It’s also worth knowing some statistics so that you can plan according to real-life data. For instance, approximately 88% of children that go missing do so because of things like miscommunication of plans, running away, or simply misunderstanding what their family’s plans were. Nearly 9% of kidnappings are done by a family member, typically during a custody dispute. Around 3% of child abductions are done by people the family knows, usually during the commission of another crime such as robbery or sexual assault. Lastly, less than 1% of children that go missing are taken by a total stranger.
The vast majority of children that go missing are returned home at a later time, this being almost 99%. The children that are the least likely to be returned are the ones taken by complete strangers, only about 50% of those children are found and returned home. These statistics are very important to know when planning your children’s safety because it shows you who is the most likely to abduct your child. Of course, even though the least likely type of abduction is smaller than a 1% chance that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, so it’s still smart to plan for that situation as well.
Knowing Definitions To Help Keep Your Children Safe.
While there is no perfect way to protect your children, you can get quite close. Every day, around 2,300 children go missing all around the country. This does include children that ran away or got lost, but it is still in your best interests to make a plan that lines up with the facts so you can keep your family as safe as possible from potential threats to their happiness and health.
