13 March 2008
NATIONAL MISSING PERSONS RESEARCH RELEASED
Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus will today launch the Australian Institute of Criminology's Missing Persons in Australia report, the most definitive research produced on the subject in more than a decade.
"It has been 10 years since national research on missing persons was conducted in Australia and in that time there has been a range of initiatives to improve the response to missing persons and their families," Mr Debus said.
"This report identifies those groups most at risk of becoming a missing person and provides guidance on preventative strategies to reduce the number of people who go missing,” he said.
Mr Debus said the report provided a basis for a coordinated government and non-government approach to tackling the issues that surround missing persons.
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) report builds on a number of successful initiatives of the AFP’s National Missing Persons Coordination Centre.
This includes the annual National Missing Persons Week, Christmas campaigns, which have seen a significant increase in location rates, and the release of a national support framework – Supporting those who are left behind, which provides counsellors with guidance on how to best support and meet the complex needs of families of missing persons.
The AIC conducted the research between July 2006 and December 2007. The research involved a review of national and overseas literature, compilation of data from Australian police services, input from non-government stakeholders and a series of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with families and friends of missing persons.
The final report provides up-to-date statistics, identifies 'at-risk' groups, examines preventative measures, intervention, support services and referral mechanisms, and provides the basis for a more networked approach to policy, practice and future research.
The research was commissioned and co-funded by the AFP and the NSW Attorney-General’s Department.
Key findings:
- It is estimated that 35,000 people are reported missing each year in Australia (approximately one person every 15 minutes). This is a rate of 1.7 people per 1000 Australians. This is slightly higher than the previous Australian estimate reported in 1998 of 1.6 per 1000 of the population.
- Groups most at risk of going missing are people suffering from poor mental health, young people (particularly females aged 13 – 17) and the elderly.
- Young people in particular account for more than half of all missing persons reported to police, and young people in care are also likely to run away more often than the rest of the young missing persons’ population.
- Long-term missing persons (missing for six months or longer) are more likely to be adult males.
- The majority of people who are reported as missing in Australia are located within a short period of time. For instance, in Victoria in 2005–06 almost 90 per cent of missing persons reported to police were located within seven days.
- Mental health, particularly anxiety and depression, emerged as a consistent theme in all aspects of the research
- For young people, family dysfunction and conflict or violence, issues associated with puberty and peer pressure, mental health issues, and drug and alcohol problems were reasons for going missing.
- For adults, mental health issues and illicit drug and alcohol problems were risk factors.
- Specific risk factors for young people include domestic violence, family conflict, child abuse and neglect, school problems such as bullying or issues with peers/teachers, illicit drug or alcohol use, mental health issues, racism and poor coping skills.
Media Contact: Samantha Wills 0448721372