Child Snatching

Abstract

This article, based primarily upon interview data, explores child snatching and some of the attendant motivations and mechanisms surrounding such events. Findings include the fact that motivations for snatching, while always multifaceted, can be roughly categorized as child-focused (stemming from concern for the child) or as self-focused (originating in the snatcher's desire to satisfy personal needs). Suggested also are six dimensions of child snatching that are thought to be common factors associated in some manner with each child snatching event. These dimensions are (1) motivations, ranging from self-centered to child-centered; (2) planning, ranging from professional to amateurish; (3) hostility, from mild to violent; (4) trauma, from serious to devastating; (5) familial involvement, from supportive to antagonistic; and (6) agency involvement, from minimal to extreme, by both public and private groups. These six factors are seen as affecting child snatching at all stages of the process. Suggestions for future research are offered.