Center for Victim Research
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This Center for Victim Research Community serves as a one-stop resource for victim service providers and researchers to connect and share knowledge to increase (1) access to victim research and data and (2) the utility of research and data collection to crime victim services nationwide. This CVR Community contains open access and public domain research-based resources about victims of crime. This community is continually updated. Contact librarian@victimresearch.org to submit a resource.
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Browsing Center for Victim Research by Subject "Abduction"
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Item Analysis of Child Kidnapping in Iowa(Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, 2013) Watson, Lanette; Rabey, Sarah; Stageberg, PaulThis study was conducted in response to a high-profile kidnapping of two girls and subsequent murder of one. The study showed, over the last ten years Iowa has had very few felony-level child kidnappings (n=17). Even though incidents of child kidnapping are rare and contribute to only a fraction of violent crime experienced by children, a review of the effectiveness of kidnapping laws revealed weaknesses in Iowa’s Criminal Code as the Code does not distinguish between adult and child victims and does not provide for penalty enhancements for repeat offenders. Iowa Code §710.3 is narrowly defined and rarely imposed, as it penalizes only kidnapping involving a ransom or dangerous weapon. This section of the Code should be revised to include language making non-parental/custodial kidnapping of a child/minor or any subsequent kidnapping conviction an automatic Class B felony subject to the mandatory minimum contained in §902.12. Additionally, policymakers should clearly define the age of the child/minor so as not to exclude minor victims over the age of 14, as many kidnapping victims are in their mid-teens. (Author Text)Item Dangers That Teens and Kids Face: A Look at the Data(Pew Research Center, 2016) DeSilver, DrewThis blog post summary takes information regarding safety concerns from a survey of U.S. parents with children under 18 and juxtaposes that against statistics on the actual incidence of those safety concerns taken from a variety of sources related to getting shot, getting in trouble with the law, teen pregnancy, kidnappings, drug and alcohol use, anxiety/depression, getting beat up and being bullied. [CVRL Abstract]Item Identifying Potential Instances of Human Trafficking: Applying a Novel Template of Indicators to Narratives in Police Incident Reports(Clemson University Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, 2015) Small, Mark; Morales, Andrea; Hefner, TraciThis study surveyed human trafficking literature to construct a novel template—named the Human Trafficking Identification Template. The template is comprised of indicators about the victim, the suspect, and the scene of the crime which, when applied to narratives of police incident reports, can suggest the presence of human trafficking. This preliminary study applied this novel technique to the narratives of police incident case reports from Greenville County, South Carolina. South Carolina Statistical Analysis Center assisted in obtaining data for this report. (CVRL Abstract)Item Media Exposure Predicts Children’s Reactions to Crime and Terrorism(University of New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Research Center, 2008) Becker-Blease, Kathryn; Finkelhor, David; Turner, HeatherIn this study we examined reactions to 3 news events (September 11 terrorist attacks, Summer 2002 kidnappings, and Fall 2002 sniper shootings) in a national, representative sample of children aged 2 to 17. Media exposure was related to increased worry and changes in activities, with September 11 creating the most concern and shootings the least. More signs of stress were apparent among 10-13-year-olds, minority children, and those of low socioeconomic status, children with prior adversities, and children who lived in close geographical proximity. Girls aged 10 to 17 had more reaction to the kidnappings, suggesting that other features of target similarity may heighten a sense of risk. The results support moderating exposure for both younger and older youth. Published in final edited form in Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 9(2), 2008, 225-248. (Author Abstract)Item Naniawig Mamawe Ninawind, Stand with Us: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Quebec(Quebec Native Women, 2015) Bergeron, Annie; Boileau, AlanaIn 2014, the Quebec Native Women’s association was granted a small amount of money from the Quebec Ministry of Justice to work on the issue of [Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women] MMIW in the province. Before moving forward though, our organization insisted that the question of MMIW in Quebec had not yet been documented, and needed to be in order to insure appropriate and adapted intervention. As such, the organization hired an Indigenous research assistant, and together, Annie Bergeron and Alana Boileau interviewed over fifty people to explore the matter of MMIW in the French speaking province. Frontline workers, justice file holders, First Nations police, and MMIW family members alike highlighted the importance of understanding the complexity of the MMIW issue and its roots in the history of colonization; the existence of family violence in Indigenous communities that has to be recognized and fought against, but also contextualized and understood; the challenges of working in one’s own community and the lack of adapted services and material for social workers and others; the tense and loaded relationship between Indigenous people and the police; and lastly the need for better support for MMIW families. The “Stand with us” report ends with five courses of action: (1) supporting women and their families; (2) favouring collaboration between service providers; (3) educate and raise awareness about Indigenous women and their history; (4) focus on solidarity and mutual aid; (5) develop participative prevention and intervention strategies against violence. (Author Abstract)Item National Estimates of Missing Children: Updated Findings From a Survey of Parents and Other Primary Caretakers(Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), 2017) Brick, J. Michael; Finkelhor, David; Sedlak, AndreaOverall, the rates of missing children decreased significantly in 2013 compared to 1999. The rate of children considered missing to their parent or caretaker declined from 9.2 per 1,000 in 1999 to 6.3 per 1,000 in 2013. Children reported to police as missing for the primary purpose of finding them decrease from 6.5 per 1,000 in 1999 to 3.1 per 1,000 in 2013. No category of children with episodes that could cause them to become missing increase; and one category decreased. The 2013 categories that did not differ statistically from 1999 rates were children with runaway or throwaway episodes; children abducted by family members; and children who were missing because they had been lost, stranded, or injured. The rate of children who were missing for benign reasons was significantly lower in the 2013 study (1.8 per 1,000 compared to 3.6 per 1,000 in the 1999 study); however, this estimate is reported to be less reliable than the other estimates. These findings are from the adult survey component of the Third National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-3), which is sponsored by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This survey is conducted under a mandate of the 1984 Missing Children’s Assistance Act. (NCJRS Abstract)Item Parenting in America: Outlook, Worries, Aspirations are Strongly Linked to Financial Situation(Pew Research Center, 2015) Parker, Kim; Horowitz, Juliana MenasceReport of Pew Research Center survey of 1,807 U.S. parents with children younger than 18 includes findings related to their concerns regarding violence such as being shot, attacked or beaten up, kidnapped, or bullied. Includes copy of the questionnaire used. [CVRL Abstract]Item School-Based Abuse Prevention: Effect on Disclosures(Journal of Family Violence, 2010) Barron, Ian G.; Topping, Keith J.This paper focuses specifically on the analysis of disclosures and forms part of a wider study which evaluated the effectiveness of the Violence is Preventable program. Participants included a survivor group, grade 6 group, and a grade 7/8 group with equivalent waiting-list comparison groups. Lessons were delivered either by voluntary organization workers or class teachers. Disclosures were systematically recorded by presenters. Video was used to analyze interactions around disclosures. Substantial numbers of disclosures occurred when lessons were delivered by survivor organization presenters. Video analysis suggested this was partly due to adult-student interactions characterized by low levels of adult control. Studies on a larger scale are needed particularly comparing outcomes from different presenters with an analysis of what leads to disclosure in and beyond the classroom. (Author Text)Item Toward a Better Understanding of Psychological Symptoms in People Confronted With the Disappearance of a Loved One: A Systematic Review(Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 2019) Lenferink, Lonneke; de Keijser, Jos; Wessel, Ineke; de Vries, Doety; Boelen, PaulObjective: The disappearance of a loved one is claimed to be the most stressful type of loss. The present review explores the empirical evidence relating to this claim. Specifically, it summarizes studies exploring the prevalence and correlates of psychological symptoms in relatives of missing persons as well as studies comparing levels of psychopathology in relatives of the disappeared and the deceased. Method:Two independent reviewers performed a systematic search in PsychINFO, Web of Science,and Medline, which resulted in 15 studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria. Eligible studies included quantitative peer-reviewed articles and dissertations that assessed psychopathology in relatives of missing person. Results:All reviewed studies were focused on disappearances due to war or state terrorism. Prevalence rates of psychopathology were mainly described in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression and varied considerably among the studies. Number of experienced traumatic events and kinship to the missing person were identified as correlates of psychopathology. Comparative studies showed that psychopathology levels did not differ between relatives of missing and deceased persons. Conclusions:The small number of studies and the heterogeneity of the studies limit the understanding of psychopathology in those left behind. More knowledge about psychopathology post disappearance could be gained by expanding the focus of research beyond disappearances due to war or state terrorism. (Author Abstract)