Missing children in europe: a phenomenon difficult to quantify - sarah oberson

Missing children in Europe: a phenomenon that is difficult to quantify

For better knowledge of the phenomenon of missing children, need Europe reliable and complete statistics. The Sarah Oberson Foundation is fighting for in Switzerland better knowledge of the phenomenon of missing children using national statistics, which are better able to quantify the disappearances, to better understand them based on scientific research, and to plan preventive measures and adequate strategies.

On the occasion of the International Day of Missing Children on May 25th, two organizations published European statistics. One speaks of 3,536 missing children and the other of 5,742 missing children. Why is there such a big difference? The answer is simple. To date, there is no official European statistics on the subject. Each country classifies and collects its data differently. For this reason, collection and comparison are impossible. These two organizations therefore try to quantify a phenomenon that is very difficult to measure.

In 2016 Amber Alert Europe speaks of 3,536 children who have disappeared. These are children [1] whose police have decided to make the disappearance public [2]. 22 states published these ads and 73% of these children were found the following month.

In 2016, 29 kidnapping warning systems [3] were triggered in 5 countries in search of 33 children, 32 of whom were found – 83% in the first 24 hours.

These data represent only a fraction of the situation, but cannot serve as a source for scientific studies, since the criteria for public notification and for triggering the kidnapping warning system differ from country to country.

In 2016 Missing Children Europe speaks of 5,742 children who have disappeared. It draws its data from the cases treated in 23 countries on the hotline 116,000 [4]. 57% of the 5,742 children who have disappeared are refugees; 7% unaccompanied minor migrants; 23% are children who have been kidnapped by a parent; fewer as 1% were kidnapped by strangers; 13% are lost, injured or other. Unfortunately, a decline in the number of children returning is noted: only 42% of the children were found this year compared to 46% in 2015.

Again, this data represents only a fraction of the situation. The sources are not official and depend on the will of the family to use this service. However, the digits can be collected and compared because Missing Children Europe has made the data collection unified.

Europe needs reliable and complete statistics. The Sarah Oberson Foundation is fighting for in Switzerland better knowledge of the missing child phenomenon through national statistics that allow it better to be able to quantify the disappearances, to better understand them based on scientific research, and to plan preventive measures and adequate strategies.

Clara Balestra, Sarah Oberson Foundation, June 6, 2017

[1] Under 18 years, according to Art. 1 of the CRC

[2] The ads will be deleted as soon as the child is back and if the disappearance lasts more than a month.

"Introduced on this continent in 2006, the abduction warning system was triggered 29 times in 2016: 17 countries in the European Union and Switzerland have such a system, but only 9 have used it to date."

[4] Means in 23 states. 31 European countries benefit from this service, including Switzerland.

Ce billet a été posté le 6 June 2017 à% H:% M dans la catégorie Kidnapping alarm, child disappearance, foundation. Vous pouvez suivre toutes les réponses de ce billet via le flux RSS 2.0. Vous pouvez laisser une réponse, ou créer un trackback depuis votre site. Taggé avec Dispartion d’enfants, Europe, statistics, statistiques, Suisse, missing children in Europe

Missing children in europe: a phenomenon difficult to quantify – sarah oberson

Missing children in Europe: a phenomenon that is difficult to quantify

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