1. Once missing, never forgotten?
Results of scoping research on the impact of
publicity appeals in missing children cases
Forum of the ICT Coalition for Children Online
May
#neverforgotten

2. 250.000 children reported missing / year in the EU

3. Common practice: publicity appeals

4. Preliminary scoping research
Aim: To scope the knowledge on publicity appeals for missing children in Europe on:
Decision-making process
Running an appeal
Effectiveness
Impact
Methodology:
Online survey – 19 hotlines – 107 staff involved
Steering Group composed of Missing Children Europe, 5 hotlines, and 2 researchers from University of Portsmouth and Abertay University

5. Publicity appeals: findings from case stories
Jakub, 8, Poland
Kendra, 17, UK

6. Presentation of results by Mette Drivsholm
The survey focused on 4 stages of publicity appeals
Decision-making process
Running a public appeals campaign
Effectiveness
Impact

7. Target group: 116 000 hotlines
The European hotline for missing children
Operational in EU28 + Serbia and Albania
Provides 24/7 support for missing children and their families:
Emotional
Psychological
Legal
Administrative
Contact point between family and police

8. Presentation of results
1. Decision-making process
Most public appeals launched for
Runaways
Lost, injured or otherwise missing children
Criminal abductions
In most cases, the dicision to launch an appeal is made by the police, and the police are also at the center of running the appeals. Other actors involved in these processes are the hotlines for missing children, parents/carers, the judiciary and volunteers.

9. Presentation of results
1. Decision-making process
Reasons for NOT launching a public appeal by hotlines:
When asked not to launch an appeal
When not asked to launch an appeal
When there is a suspected crime involved (such as homicide)
When a person is ‘wanted’ by authorities rather than ‘missing’

10. Presentation of results
1. Decision-making process
Impact of public appeal mostly taken into consideration while child is missing, rather than upon return
Requests refused if:
Negative impact on child and/or investigation
Child not in danger/no parental authority (parental abductions)

11. Presentation of results
1. Decision-making process
Best practices:
Collecting and analysing specific information about the child from family, friends, guardians,
prosecutor, police
Discussing impact of publicity with family as well as police
In short: Hotlines are a focal point for information and support in a missing children case

12. Presentation of results
1. Decision-making process
Challenges and concerns:
Best interest of the child: Life threat vs negative impact
If police plays the main role, decision not up to the hotline
Hotline’s limited ability to distribute appeals

13. Presentation of results
2. Running a publicity appeal
Running an appeal entails:
Disseminating the appeal through various channels
Reception, assessment and follow-up of testimonies
Stopping the appeal when necessary

14. Preliminary scoping research
2. Running the appeal
Mostly national in reach
Once online, hard to stop
The graph shows that most appeals are launch through the channels ‘social media’ and ‘websites’ and that most appeals are indeed launched for runaways, followed by lost, injured and otherwise missing children.
The police mainly makes the decision to stop an appeal. The main stop criteria are:
Child found
New risk assessment
If reporting family members wish to stop appeal
Summary of actions taken to stop appeal:
Police/family notify of change of status (child found)
Hotline case database is updated (case closed)
Information removed from hotline’s own channels
All associates are informed of the changed status
and asked to remove information

15. Presentation of results
3. Effectiveness of a publicity appeal
Overarching aim: Finding the child
Specific aims:
Testimonies, new data about the missing child, reporting of sightings
To encourage the missing child to get in touch so they can be safeguarded
Reassure the family, informant, police, public that everything is being done to find the child
Further aims:
Raise awareness of missing issue and services offered
To ”make real” or memorialise the child, ensure they are not forgotten or erased

16. Presentation of results
3. Effectiveness of a publicity appeal
Often achieved
Overarching aim: Finding the child
Specific aims:
Testimonies, new data about the missing child, reporting of sightings
To encourage the missing child to get in touch so they can be safeguarded
Reassure the family, informant, police, public that everything is being done to find the child
Further aims:
Raise awareness of missing issue and services offered
To ”make real” or memorialise the child, ensure they are not forgotten or erased
Sometimes achieved

17. Presentation of results
3. Perceived effectiveness
UNKNOWN!
Social media
Website TV
Posters

18. Presentation of results
3. Effectiveness of a publicity appeal
Information collected by hotlines:
Registration of phone calls/contacts
Response from public
Whether the appeal led to testimonies
Feedback from reporting families
Feedback from police

19. Presentation of results
3. Effectiveness of a publicity appeal
Good practices:
National evaluation
Social media monitoring tools
Monitoring of printed media
Family feedback surveys

20. Presentation of results
3. Effectiveness of a publicity appeal
Challenges:
Evaluations are costly
Police confidentiality
How to measure
Information accuracy
Dissemination/reach
Effectiveness (whether the appeal led to the aim)

21. Preliminary scoping research
4. Impact of appeals upon return
Thank you for immediately disseminating my child’s information. Without your help, I wouldn’t know what to do. My child doesn’t know how to read or speak
- Mother of 15-year old girl who went missing due to mental health issues
93% of hotlines do not systematically collect information on impact
Why?
Lack of available best practices
Resource constraints
Evaluations not always prioritised

22. Preliminary scoping research
4. Impact of appeals upon return
Positive, short term:
Public support/ encouragement to child
Relief and positive surprise with parents
More care by third parties, eg. school administration and peers
Gratitude and relief (parents)
Positive, long term
More services are involved in taking care of the child
Improved relationship among family members
Reduced risk of running away again?

23. Presentation of results
4. Impact of a publicity appeal upon return
We are concerned because 2,5 years after my daughter’s disappearance, whenever she searches for her name on the internet, she finds webnsites where she is still mentioned. My daughter is concerned because the profession that she chose requires a certain amount of publicity, but she feels that the information about her disappearance exposes her in a negative way
- Mother of a now 18 year-old who went missing and attempted suicide at 16

24. Presentation of results
4. Impact of a publicity appeal upon return
Negative, short term:
Gossip, threats, insults on social media
Feeling embarrassed and exposed towards schoolmates, not wanting to return to school
Increased attention to the child and family from the public
The child didn’t like the photo, view the appeal as annoying (don’t consider themselves as missing)
Feeling of shame for the family towards the community (mostly in small communities)
Negative, long term
Lasting digital footprints about disappearance – the right to be forgotten

25. Way forward Important gaps of knowledge: Effectiveness of appeals
Safeguarding missing children
Way forward
Judiciary
Right to be forgotten
Important gaps of knowledge:
Effectiveness of appeals
Short term and long term impact on child & family
> Need for further research to inform practical guidelines
Managing public resources
Privacy
Raising awareness
Law enforcement
Hotlines

26. Thank you
Any questions?