Understanding the complexities of non-familial child abductions: a systematic literature review on the behavioural characteristics of acquaintance and stranger abductors

Abstract

Purpose Reports from 2016 to 2017 suggest that approximately 870 cases of non-familial child abduction (NFA) are recorded in England and Wales per year. Yet, empirical knowledge of the victims, offenders and offence characteristics is limited in comparison to other forms of child victimisation. Furthermore, much of the available knowledge is constrained by a lack of clarity around the differences between acquaintance and stranger abductors. This systematic literature review aims to develop a comprehensive overview of acquaintance and stranger child abductions, focussing on the similarities and differences in offending behaviours. Design/methodology/approach Research databases (PsycArticles, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, MEDLINE and ERIC) and the Grey Literature (ETHOS and EBSCO) were screened for peer-reviewed research published between 1995 and 2021. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using a modified version of the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Case Reports. Findings Six key areas within NFA offences and their characteristics were identified as offering potential for differentiating acquaintance and stranger abductors: victim–offender relationship, number of victims and offenders, motives, modus operandi, victim injury, sexual assault and mechanism of death (in fatal cases). The results of this review are discussed with consideration given to investigative implications, limitations and directions for future study. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to systematically review the current NFA literature, from which pragmatic recommendations for practice and future academic enquiry are drawn.

Victim Care or Defendant Rights? Assessing Public Attitudes towards Special Measures Designed to Support Vulnerable Witnesses at Trial

“…There has been a huge push in recent years within the CJS towards victim-oriented policy and procedures (Fielding 2013;Smith et al 2022). Yet, despite institutional agreement, there exists key divides within the general public's perceptions of victims (Lilley et al 2023b;Stevens et al 2024), defendants (Chesser et al 2023;Lewandowicz-Machnikowska et al 2023), and the appropriate treatment of both (Jones et al 2023;Sowersby et al 2022;Williams et al 2023). The current research, in line with previous findings, found that the British public demonstrates victim-oriented attitudes, as a higher proportion of respondents rated the court's ability to help victims as poor than rated the protection of the accused as poor (Kaukinen and Colavecchia 1999).…”