Originally posted by Maxmars
I don't know if this is a correct understanding; but I had been led to believe that over half of these reported missing children cases come from shared parenting privileges abuses where one parent in a 'split' couple takes the child when they shouldn't have, fails to return on time, or decides they want to 'keep' their child despite legal determinations otherwise.

True, as that is what happened of last known for my missing children.

The courts don't care what the custodial parent does... even if they disappear to another country. If the non-custodial parent does the same, the law enforcement will do something.

(With proof in another thread here) law enforcement won't care what the non-custodial parent says even if the non-custodial parent has reported the missing kids. That is the "conspiracy" notion you pointed out. The law enforcement automatically consider it is the fault of the non-custodial parent.

Meanwhile, the child suffers and is still missing.

Court system really needs to get rid of the custodial/non-custodial terminology because of this very case and because of these statistics that continue to grow. It would severely help prevent missing children.

What's worse (in the "conspiracy") is that the Child Support Agencies continue to demand to collect money on missing children. Even when the Child Support Agencies fully is aware and unable to find the custodial parent, they still try to collect child support money.

What's more important? The missing children... or to collect money for a missing children that they can't even get the money to because the child is MISSING?!?!? This hurts...

Originally posted by AshleyD
Then the article mentions 200,000 end up being with other family members (an unfortunate side effect of our divorce/custody culture). It's technically classified as child abduction for the non custodial parent to take the child.

See how easy it is to blame "non-custodial" parent and where it is avoided to look at the "custodial" parent as the cause.

Two people, parents, walks into a court room for custody. One comes out a custodial and the other comes out the non-custodial. At this point neither one is criminal or done anything wrong. The court won't allow both to be "custodial."

So, here, the "non-custodial" gets treated as the criminal, assumed, presumed, and by default, in such accusations and carelessly used words as above "It's technically classified as child abduction for the non custodial parent to take the child."

Reality check.

I really think that a lot of people who look at a number like 800,000 just immediately blow the whole issue off since the number is so ridiculous. That has always been my reaction. There is just no way that number is any where near accurate in describing the real problem.

How many children under the age of 16 just vanish and nobody has the slightest clue what happened to them? If that is a substantial and verifiable number then people will sit up and take notice.

How many children are known to have been abducted by strangers?

Those are the kind of descriptions that would get people's attention and concern.