Facts & Figures
250,000 children are reported missing every year in the EU, 1 child every 2 minutes.
Despite this huge number, it is hard to collect comprehensive data about why these children go missing and what happens when they do, in Europe due to differing data collection methods. However Missing Children Europe’s has supported the development of a customed Clent Relationship and Data collection system that will be rolled out in 8 countries in Europe by 2017. This system will allow for a coherent and systematic collection of comparable data that can then be used to research and better understand the problem and possible solutions to the issue of child disappearances.
Missing Children Europe also collects data from the network of European hotlines for missing children operated via the 116 000 number in 29 countries in Europe. This data is collected annually and published via a data report that gives insight on the ages, reasons of going missing, the number of children that are found etc related to missing children trends in Europe.
Figures and Trends on missing children in 2016 (from the hotlines for missing children and Cross-Border Family Mediators)*
Figures and Trends on missing children in 2015 (from the hotlines for missing children and Cross-Border Family Mediators)*
Missing Children
250 000 children are reported missing every year in the European Union, 1 child every 2 minutes. – European Commission
Missing children include several types of child disappearances, including runaways, parental abductions, missing unaccompanied migrant children, criminal abductions and lost, injured or otherwise missing children.
Less than 1% of missing children cases reported to hotlines in 2016 involve criminal abductions. – Missing Children Europe Annual Review 2016
Our network of missing children hotlines operated through the 116 000 number have received over 1 million calls since 2011 – Missing Children Europe Annual Review 2016 \
Runaways are 9 times likelier to contemplate suicide than other children. – Fondation pour L’Enfance
Runaways make up 57% of missing children cases reported to the 116 000 hotline. – Missing Children Europe Annual Review 2016
1 in 6 runaways are assumed to sleep rough, 1 in 8 resort to stealing to survive and 1 in 12 children are at serious risk of some form of abuse. – The Children’s Society
In Hungary during February 2016 children disappeared at a rate of 90-95% after spending 1-3 days in reception institutions. – Fundamental Rights Agency
In January 2016, the German Federal Criminal Police (BKA) reported that 4749 unaccompanied children went missing. 431 were younger than 13. – Express
89,000 unaccompanied children submitted an asylum application in the EU in 2015. 11 800 of them were less than 14 years old. – Eurostat
Sexual Exploitation & Abuse
The sexual exploitation and abuse of children comprise at least the following categories: sexual abuse or assault, child prostitution, child pornography, child trafficking for sexual purposes and grooming (solicitation of children).
1 in 5 children in Europe are victims of some form of sexual violence. In 70% to 85% of cases, the abuser is somebody the child knows and trusts. – Council of Europe
Out of the 800 000 people trafficked annually across national borders in the world, up to 50% are children. – CIA
2 million children are trafficked in Europe every year. – UNICEF, 2007
75% of child sexual abuse material found online by the Internet Watch Foundation were of female victims – Internet Watch Foundation
39% of child abuse images, the possession of which led to arrests in the US in 2000 & 2001, concerned children between ages 3-5, 19% concerned children below 3. – National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children
81% of child victims identified in child sexual abuse were 10 years or younger. – Internet Watch Foundation
In 2007, there was a 16.4% rise in child abuse images reports processed by the Internet Watch Foundation hotline in the UK compared to the same period in 2006. – Internet Watch Foundation
While victims are increasingly younger, the abuse is proving to become increasingly more violent. – Internet Watch Foundation
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