Abstract
Parental abduction of children is a little-studied psychiatric and legal problem. Interviews were conducted with 69 parents whose children had been abducted and recovered, part of a larger group who responded to a written survey in 1989. Comparison of survey and follow up interview responses revealed a process of normalizing relationships with the abducting parent. At follow up, more cases showed a pattern that involved visits between the child and the former abductor, payment of child support, and decreased fear of another abduction. In 12 cases the child was living with the former abducting parent at follow up. Seventy-nine percent of the children had received mental health care since the abduction. Large proportions of the parents reported satisfaction with their children's adjustment in four areas of functioning.
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