Summary

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that more than 250,000 children are abducted each year, with the majority taken by a family member or someone they know. Others are non-family abductions, in which a child is taken for motives ranging from ransom to stealing a child to start a family. Child Abduction and Kidnapping explains the types of kidnappings, details government and law enforcement efforts to prevent and solve them, and explores the many practices and programs, such as the AMBER Alert, now in place to help protect children.

Chapters include:

• The AMBER Alert: Communities on the Case
• Family Abduction: Surprising Suspects
• Infant Abduction: The Youngest Victims
• The Internet: Protection through Privacy
• Supportive Organizations: Experts on Call.

• Amber Hagerman
• Megan Kanka
• Charles Lindbergh Jr.
• Etan Patz
• Charles and Walter Ross
• Elizabeth Smart
• Laura Smither
• Adam Walsh
• Kacie Woody.

Specifications

Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Sidebars. Chronology. Bibliography. Endnotes. Further resources. Index.

About the Author(s)

Susan O’Brien is a writer who specializes in children’s issues. She has an M.A. in forensic psychology and has worked with a variety of organizations, including USA Today and PI Magazine.