Preventing Parental Child Abduction: Analysis of a National Project

Abstract

Recent data from a study indicate that child abduction by a parent is up to six times more frequent than previous estimates had suggested. Relative to parental child abductions, stranger abductions occur on a very infrequent basis. While much attention has been placed on prevention programs for stranger abductions, prevention programs for parental child abduction have been nonexistent. The present study analyzes data from a national hotline program that targeted prevention of parental child abduction. Data were collected on 86 consecutive telephone calls from parents contemplating abduction of their child(ren). These data provide information on demographic variables, level of interparental conflict/violence, reasons for contemplating abduction, and abduction plans. Data are also presented that indicate a mediation program may be effective in preventing some cases of parental child abduction. However, such a mediation program is a very difficult course of action and impacts only a small percentage of parental child abduction cases.