Missing children: risks, repeats and responses

Sidebottom, Aiden; Boulton, Laura; Cockbain, Ella; Halford, Eric; Phoenix, Jessica

doi:10.1080/10439463.2019.1666129

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Moreover, adolescents often field voluntary removal as a response to a real or perceived lack of well-being in the family (Biehal et al 2003;Mitchell 2003;NSPCC 2011;Rees 2011;Rees and Lee 2005; Safe on the Streets Research Team 1999; Wade 2003;Wade and Rees 1999). Protecting missing children is not only a priority for the police but also a public health concern, in light of emerging evidence that missing children may be at heightened risk of abuse, exploitation, and harm (Sidebottom et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers

et al. 2022

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The disappearance of children has become a public social issue that has captured the attention of many in the last two decades, especially because there is not a worldwide consensus on the definition of “missing child”. This research analyzed events of missing children from 2000 to 2020 in Italy; data were collected from the main national sources of information: the websites of two Italian press agencies (ANSA and Adnkronos) and the four main Italian newspapers (Il Messaggero, La Repubblica, Il Corriere Della Sera, La Stampa) with a double-blind procedure. Our data show that male minors disappear to a greater extent than female minors and the disappearance of Italian minors is more represented than that of foreign minors. The majority of minors are found and when they are found they are still alive often within the first week after the disappearance. Our data shows that children disappear between the ages of 0–5 more than the cases involving adolescents. Also, of 182 missing and found children, information regarding the presence of abuse was reported in only 18 cases. The data of the present study were discussed in comparison with those of the Italian Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons highlighting differences between the official data on missing children and those reported by newspapers; this study is intended to highlight a growing focus on the phenomenon, not only from a media perspective but also from an institutional one.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers

et al. 2022

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“…Further research into the scale and nature of county lines nationally and across specific regions, parallels and overlaps with other phenomena like CSE and going missing (Sidebottom et al ., 2019) and evaluations of interventions (e.g. Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, 2020) would all be useful contributions to the knowledge base.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Professionals' Views on Responding to County Lines‐Related Criminal Exploitation in the West Midlands, UK

Olver

Cockbain

2021

Child Abuse Review

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While certainly not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults in 'county lines' drug distribution and sales now attracts considerable attention and concern. In this study, we explored professionals' perspectives on understandings of and responses to this issue in the West Midlands, UK. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 participants from policing, prosecution, government and the third sector. Participants typically saw county lines-related exploitation as insufficiently understood, especially where individuals are both victimised and commit offences are concerned. They also characterised responses as hampered by factors such as variable use of legislation, inconsistent intelligence sharing and insufficient resourcesparticularly to support vulnerable people. More robust multiagency collaboration could help address these issues, although it also involves challenges. Our exploratory study focuses on criminal justice responses to county lines-related exploitation in particular, a relatively narrow set of professionals and one specific geographical location, meaning findings must not be overextended. Nevertheless, it provides novel insights into a complex, important and understudied phenomenon. We situate the work against the broader literature on exploitation, drawing parallels with child sexual exploitation and 'modern slavery' that could inform further research.

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“…This gathering was partly in response to a growing body of evidence linking child disappearances to an increased risk of sexual exploitation (Cockbain et al, 2015; Scott and Skidmore, 2006), health-related harms (Whitbeck et al, 2007), involvement in crime (Heerde et al, 2014; Shalev, 2011) and criminal exploitation 1 (National Crime Agency, 2017; The Children’s Society, 2018). In addition, concerns have been raised about the unnecessary criminalisation of children who come into contact with the police through being reported missing (Howard League, 2017), particularly children in care placements who are over-represented in missing persons data (Babuta and Sidebottom, 2020; Department for Education, 2021; Hayden 2017; Hayden and Shalev Greene 2018; Sidebottom et al, 2020) and whom may not consider themselves missing (Missing People, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite a general awareness of the high frequency of repeat missing incidents involving children, research into the prevalence and concentration of repeat missing incidents is sparse. Two recent exceptions are Babuta and Sidebottom (2020) and Sidebottom et al (2020). Babuta and Sidebottom (2020) used data on all missing incidents involving children from one police force in England and Wales for the period January 2011–May 2013 ( n = 1885).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that (1) a small percentage of missing children (5% of the sample) accounted for almost a third of all police recorded child disappearances ( n = 573) and (2) that those children who went missing repeatedly were more likely to be teenagers, reside in care and have a history of family conflict. In a follow-up study using 12 months of data from a different police force area, Sidebottom et al (2020) reported similarly high levels of concentration, such that 4% ( n = 59) of children who went missing 10 times or more accounted for 28% of all missing incidents involving children ( n = 952), generating an estimated police cost of £2.29 million. 2 Repeatedly missing children were also found to be significantly more likely to be teenagers, reside in care and exhibit drug and/or alcohol dependencies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Further evidence on the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children: A research note

López

Hunter²,

Davies

et al. 2021

The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles

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This study examines the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children. Using data from one UK police force (n = 2,251), we find (1) that the majority (65%) of missing incidents are repeats, (2) that a small group of repeatedly missing children (n = 43; 6%) account for a sizable proportion of all missing incidents (n=739, 33%) and (3) that the likelihood of a child going missing repeatedly is elevated in the weeks immediately following a previous missing incident. The implications of our findings for future research and for the prevention of missing incidents are discussed.

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Missing children: risks, repeats and responses

Cited by 22 publications

References 28 publications

Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers

Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers

Professionals' Views on Responding to County Lines‐Related Criminal Exploitation in the West Midlands, UK

Further evidence on the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children: A research note

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