Statistics

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How many children are reported missing each year?

The U.S. Department of Justice reports

• 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day.
• 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
• 58,200 children were the victims of non-family abductions.
• 115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.)

[Andrea J. Sedlak, David Finkelhor, Heather Hammer, and Dana J. Schultz. U.S. Department of Justice. "National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview" in National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, October 2002, page 5.]

For more information, see:

• NISMART-2, October 2002. National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview
• NISMART-2, October 2002. Nonfamily Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics
• NISMART-2, October 2002. Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics
• NISMART-2, October 2002. Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics
• NISMART-2, October 2002. NISMART Questions and Answers

How many cases of missing children has NCMEC helped resolve?

Since 1984, NCMEC has assisted law-enforcement with more than 157,000 missing-child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 142,000 children.

How many calls does NCMEC’s hotline (1-800-THE-LOST^®) handle?

In the last quarter of 2009, the Hotline handled an average of 240 service-related calls per day. Since its 1984 inception, the toll-free Hotline has handled more than 2.3 million calls.

How many children have been recovered through AMBER ALERTS?

Since 1997, the AMBER Alert program has been credited with the safe recovery of 467 children. To date there is a network of 120 AMBER Plans across the country.

Where can I find statistics about missing and/or exploited children in a particular state?

State-specific statistics are available through state clearinghouses. Click here for a list and contact information.

How many children are victims of online sexual exploitation?

According to the latest online victimization research,

• Approximately one in seven youth online (10 to 17-years-old) received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.
• Four percent (4%) received an aggressive sexual solicitation - a solicitor who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone; or sent them offline mail, money, or gifts.
• Thirty-four percent (34%) had an unwanted exposure to sexual material -- pictures of naked people or people having sex.
• Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the youth who encountered unwanted sexual material told a parent or guardian. If the encounter was defined as distressing - episodes that made them feel very or extremely upset or afraid - forty-two percent (42%) told a parent or guardian.

Download the report, Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later.

[David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2006, pages 7-8, 33.]

How pervasive is the problem of child sexual exploitation?

Research indicates that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be sexually victimized before adulthood.

[D. Finkelhor. “Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse.” The Future of Children: Sexual Abuse of Children, 1994, volume 4, page 37.]

How many reports of child exploitation have been made to CyberTipline?

CyberTipline has received more than 675,000 reports since it was established in March 1998.

Reports to CyberTipline involve the possession, manufacture and distribution of child pornography, the online enticement of children for sex acts, child prostitution, child sex-tourism, child molestation (not in the family), unsolicited obscene material sent to a child, and misleading domain names.

How many victims of child exploitation have been identified through the Child Victim Identification (CVIP) Program?

Through July 2009, CVIP has information on over 2,400 child victims from around the world seen in sexually abusive images.

Through July 2009, CVIP Analysts reviewed seized child pornography collections from more than 19,500 investigations across the country, through the Child Recognition and Identification System (CRIS).