When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide

Published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide was written by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child.
It contains their combined advice concerning what you can expect when your child is missing, what you can do, and where you can go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for your missing child and discusses some of the important issues that you and your family need to consider.
Forward:
In an instant, a peaceful day can become a nightmare when a child is discovered missing. We have witnessed tragic abductions of children of all ages across America—in rural byways and major cities. We have also been heartened by the joyful reunions of children safely returned to their parents.
Children may be missing from home for a variety of reasons. They may run away after a heated argument with their parents or be lured away by an online predator in an Internet chatroom. They may be taken by a noncustodial parent to another country—perhaps to strike back at an ex-spouse—or abducted by someone the child does not know.