Understanding the Complexities of Non-Familial Child Abductions: A Systematic Literature Review on the Behavioural Characteristics of Acquaintance and Stranger Abductors.

Reports from 2016-2017 suggest that approximately 870 cases of non-familial child abduction (NFA) are recorded England and Wales per year. Yet, empirical knowledge of the victims, offenders, and offence characteristics is limited in comparison to other forms of child victimisation. Furthermore, much of the available knowledge is constrained by a lack of clarity around the differences between acquaintance and stranger abductors. This systematic literature review aimed to develop a comprehensive overview of acquaintance and stranger abductions, focussing on the similarities and differences in offending behaviours.
Research databases (PsyArticles, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsychINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, MEDLINE, and ERIC) and the Grey Literature (ETHOS and EBSCO) were screened for peer-reviewed research published between 1995 and 2018. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using a modified version of the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Case
Reports. Six key areas within NFA offences and their characteristics were identified as offering potential for differentiating acquaintance and stranger abductors: victim-offender relationship, number of victims and offenders, motives, modus operandi, victim injury, sexual assault, and mechanism of death (in fatal cases). The results of this review are discussed with consideration given to investigative implications, limitations, and directions for future studies.