A missing person is someone who is absent from their usual network of social and personal relationships to the point that those in the community consider their absence as interfering with expected performance of expected social responsibilities. Missing persons can be voluntarily or involuntary, and they can be found or not found.
Missing persons are a serious issue that affects all communities. There are many reasons why people go missing. Children often disappear due to family dysfunction or conflict, mental health issues, problems associated with puberty and peer pressure, substance abuse or poor coping skills. Children can also be taken into care by a court, which is often the case when family members are not able to look after them.
The first step in locating missing persons is filing a report with law enforcement. It’s important to file the report immediately, as the first 72 hours is when search and rescue teams have the greatest chance of finding a missing person alive. The report should be submitted to your local police department with a detailed physical description and information about where the person was last seen. It should also include a phone number and names of people they might have been in contact with.
When a person is reported missing, the report gets entered into NCIC (National Crime Information Center) which is a database shared between law enforcement agencies. This flags the person as missing and allows officers in other cities to be on the lookout for them.