Missing children

Children run away for all sorts of reasons, including trouble at school or arguments within the family. They may leave on impulse or in protest. Sometimes they may be drawn away by something outside of the home such as older friends. On most occasions they return home safely.

When a child runs away they are at risk of serious harm. You do not have to wait 24 hours before reporting somebody missing. You can make a report to the police as soon as you have done as much as possible to locate your child and that you consider them to be missing. There is no minimum waiting time. Dial 999 in an emergency or call your local police force immediately on 101.

Why do children run away?

A child going missing is often a cry for help and a sign that something is wrong in that young person’s life. They may be experiencing violence at home, drug or alcohol issues, difficulties at school, bullying or sexual abuse. Children can go missing for a variety of reasons, but in most instances they return home safely. Girls are more likely to go missing than boys at a young age and the harm to the child increases with younger children. Sometimes children are not running away but running to somewhere – for example, in cases of child sexual exploitation.

Running away or going missing is also a key early indicator of criminal exploitation or child sexual exploitation. Research by The Children’s Society has found that many as 70% of children who are sexually exploited go missing from home.

Young people can run away for many reasons:

• Problems at home – these can range from arguments with parents, to conflict between parents, to long-term abuse or neglect. Some young people in care run away to be closer to friends or family.
• Problems at school – children who are being severely bullied are more likely to run away as are those who feel negatively about school in general.
• Problems elsewhere – young people may run away after being groomed by adults who want to exploit them for criminal or sexual activity or simply encouraged to run by older friends.
• In many cases, running away will be a combination of these factors.

Children who run away may also exhibit other behaviour, which can include:

• Skipping school regularly for either part of the day or more.
• Expressing their unhappiness about any changes regarding adults who live in their home (for example if a parent or parent’s partner moves in or out).
• Beginning to behave in a more challenging way.
• Suddenly spending time with older friends or receiving a lot of text messages.
• Showing signs of other unusual attributes such as tiredness, lateness, dirty clothes or being hungry.

All of these factors, including running away, indicate that there are more serious underlying issues that a child or young person needs help and support with.

Patterns of going missing

• Four out of five children who run away do so only once or twice.
• Twenty percent of children going missing under the age of 16 had been forced to leave home.
• Very few children go outside their local area while away.
• Children under 16 are most likely to run away because of abuse and neglect. Whilst those who first run away or are forced to leave at the age of 16 or 17 are more likely to do so for reasons of family conflict and breakdown.
• Children in residential placements were likely to have gone missing more often in the past than those going missing from foster placements. Children aged 14 and 15 tended to stay away longer.
• For children who go missing often, there is a progressive risk of detachment from family, carers and school (exclusion or non-attendance).
• Evidence would suggest that once patterns of school non-attendance and running away become established they are mutually reinforcing.
• Children who go missing often are also more likely to have problems with depression, drugs and alcohol and to have involvement in offending.
• Children with previous convictions were far more likely to run away than those who had none.

Guidance and resources

The South West Child Protection Procedures set out practice guidance for professionals on Children and Families that go Missing (Including Unborn Children) and Children Missing from Care, Home and Education.

Help, guidance and assistance is also available from Missing People, and The Children’s Society has a developed a series of guides with useful information and advice on what to do when a child goes missing and how to prevent children from going missing in the first place:

• Thinking of running away? is a guide for children and young people about the risks of running away and advice on where they can find help.
• What to do if your child goes missing explains to parents and carers why children and young people run away and what steps to take if a child goes missing.
• The Missing Children Response Assessment Tool aims to ensure that no child falls through the gaps in how different agencies work together and communicate with each other about missing children.

More information about Devon’s multi-agency information sharing forums (MACE) to safeguard children who go missing or are at risk of child sexual exploitation is available on our child exploitation page.

Philomena Protocol

The Philomena Protocol is a scheme that asks carers to identify children and young people who are at risk of going missing, and to record vital information about them that can be used to help find them quickly and safely.

More information about the Philomena Protocol is available on the Devon and Cornwall Police website.

Parental child abduction

Parental child abduction is when a parent or relative, or someone acting on their behalf, removes a child from approved custody or violates their custody agreement. Read more about parental child abduction.

Parental child abduction is a criminal offence. If you believe that your child has been or is at risk of being abducted or, if your child has been taken overseas without your consent, call the police immediately.

If your child is taken abroad, the Hague Convention states that the country the child is taken to must respect the custody decision of the country of origin. This principle is upheld by all countries that have ratified the convention, including the UK. If you think your child has been taken to a country outside the Hague Convention, then there are official channels within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Getting help

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) child abduction unit can be contacted on 020 7008 0878, Monday to Friday (09:30 to 17:00), or another member of consular staff out of hours on 020 7008 1500.
• The Ministry of Justice International Child Abduction and Contact Unit offers guidance on the action to take if you think your child is at risk of abduction and a list of specialist solicitors. They can be contacted on 020 7911 7127, Monday to Friday (09:00 to 17:00).
• Action Against Abduction offers interactive advice on what parents or carers should do if their children have been abducted or fear that they will be abducted.
• Reunite is the leading UK charity specialising in parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders.

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