NCJ Number
137453
Date Published
1987
Length
58 pages
Annotation
The U.S. Department of Justice coordinates service programs for missing and exploited children through the Missing Children's Program of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
Abstract
The Missing Children's Program has had considerable success in heightening awareness of the public and the professional community regarding child abduction, sexual exploitation of children, and runaways. OJJDP initiatives have included studies of the incidence of missing children, law enforcement policies and practices involving missing children and homeless youth, child victims, and psychological consequences of missing children on families. Demonstration projects and service programs have also been implemented by the OJJDP to focus attention on the plight of missing and exploited children. Coordination among local, State, and Federal agencies is facilitated by clearinghouses on missing children. The most effective clearinghouses are involved in such child protection activities as operating a toll-free hotline, maintaining a comprehensive data base, training child service professionals, increasing public awareness, and developing prevention and education programs. Most direct actions involving missing children are accomplished at the local level such as investigations, prosecutions, offender sentencing, and the provision of social services to children and families. Several national criminal justice organizations also provide research, training programs, and publications regarding missing and exploited children issues. Appendixes contain a list of State clearinghouses, a list of nonprofit organizations, and the text of Title IV-Missing Children.